Home Fire
by Snows Of Yester-Year
Summary: After four years, the war is over and the gang has split up. Has the love between them stood the test of time, or does growing up really mean growing apart?
1. Over Land and Sea

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender

* * *

Upon learning it, Katara had determined weaving to be the most useless thing that she had ever learned. Ever. Now, however, she found it very useful. It was a simple, mindless activity that was productive and gave her hands something to do while she was thinking. Next to Waterbending, it was the perfect activity.

Oh, _Spirits, _she was bored!

She shoved her work to the side in a fit of frustration, glaring silently at the wall opposite of her. A huge storm had hit the Southern Water Tribe, and she was avoiding going outside whenever possible. Getting hit in the face several thousand times with minute daggers of ice was enough to convince almost anyone to remain inside.

Almost.

Her brother was clearly the exception.

Katara wasn't sure where he was, but she was fairly certain that it probably involved alcohol and a fair-sized fight. The Southern Water Tribe had grown into a city in the four years since Ozai found in a painful manner that he wasn't Fire Lord anymore, and an unforeseen number of taverns had sprang up in the mean time. Recently, a decent-sized group of men – all from her old village – had gone on a hunt to the west, and they only just came back. None had left the speakeasies since.

Moments later, a figure, dressed in blue and coated in ice, slipped into the door. The figure reached up and slipped their hood down, revealing an irritated-looking teenager with brown hair and too-sharp blue eyes.

"I hate storms," she growled, dusting the snow from her arms. "I hated them in the North, and I still hate them here."

"Good evening, Anola," Katara said with a small smile. Anola's father had come with the Waterbenders from the North Pole. Anola wasn't a bender, but she was a tomboy and a formidable warrior. And although she was almost a year Katara's senior, she sometimes acted years younger, with a smart mouth and hot head that always managed to get her in trouble. The two had an agreement; Katara keeps an eye on Anola, who lives alone, and Anola makes sure Sokka doesn't go and get himself killed on a hunting expedition.

"Evening," she responded shortly, taking a seat against the far wall.

"What brings you here?"

Anola shrugged. "I'm bored, and I figured you must be, too. Sokka's not home yet, huh?"

"No," Katara grumbled, glaring at the door. "I don't know what's wrong with him, staying out when the weather's like this. I'll feel better when he gets home…"

"Ah, the moron can take care of himself."

Katara turned her glare on her friend. "What do you have against my brother?"

"It's not so much that I have something against him…or maybe it is. I don't know. He acts dumber then he should sometimes, and that kind of pisses me off." She stretched, lifting an eyebrow at Katara. "I can be patient with stupidity, but I draw the line at being patient with those who take pride in it."

"Sokka's not that bad," Katara said softly. "He's just…"

"Yeah, I know," Anola said softly. "To his defense, a girl could do a lot worse."

Katara smiled. "Interested?"

"Ha! In _his _dreams."

A moment later, the door opened, and the very boy the two had been talking about stumbled in. He looked over at Anola, frowning. "What's she doin' here?"

"Nice to see you, too," Anola said irritably, making a very rude gesture at Sokka. "Glad to see you're suitably sober. I expected you to be entirely incoherent."

"It was a good hunt," he insisted, as though that were justification for his alcohol intake. "We were just having fun."

"Yes, well, you have fun with that headache you'll have in the morning." She sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall. "This is why I don't drink."

"I'm glad your hunt went well," Katara said, ignoring the girl sitting off to the side. "That's hardly an excuse to drink, but –"

"Oh, come on, Katara, I didn't get drunk!" Sokka defended, dropping himself down next to the fire. Katara lifted an eyebrow at him. He blinked and muttered, "Well, maybe I could have stood for a couple less…"

"Just a couple," she said dryly, taking his parka from him and laying it out near the fire. "Has the storm got any better?"

"Um…I don't know, has it?"

"He's gone," Anola declared happily, pushing herself to her feet. "And on that note, unless you need my help, Katara, so am I."

"Go ahead," Katara said, pouring Sokka some soup. "Be careful getting home."

"I live four doors down, Katara. I'll be fine." She gave a small wave before slipping quickly out the door. Katara then turned her attention to her brother. "Sokka, why did you insist on going to the bar?"

"Oh, come on, now, Katara," he grinned, "it was just a bit of fun."

"Well, do me a favor and come home earlier next time," she said with a small smile. "I didn't like you being out in the storm when I didn't know if you were okay or not."

"You worry too much, little sis," he insisted softly.

"It's a curse," she declared, taking his bowl to refill. "So, any news to report?"

"Rumors from the north," he said, turning fickle attention to the fire. "One about Aang."

"Argh!" At hearing the Avatar's name Katara had jumped a foot or so, causing the soup that had been intended for the bowl to cover her arm instead. She grimaced furiously, searching for a rag. "Sokka, are you sure?"

"How many guys with arrows on their heads are there, exactly?"

"Alright, alright," she muttered, mopping up the soup. "What did you hear?"

"He went to the Fire Nation a little while ago, and he's been in the southern Earth Kingdom for awhile now," Sokka reported, ladling his own bowl of soup.

"I wonder why he's going to the Fire Nation," Katara mused softly, staring into the heart of the fire.

"Who knows? He's probably not even there anymore. You know how slowly news travels around here."

She glanced at him briefly before returning her gaze to the fire. "Yeah…you're right. Besides, it doesn't even involve us…"

Sokka saw the saddened look on his sister's face. "You still miss him, huh?"

"Nah," she said with a forced smile. "I mean, come on, it's been three and a half years. I've moved on…" _And so has he,_ she thought sadly. _He probably doesn't even think of me anymore. I just can't move on, even if I tell myself I have…_

"Katara?"

She glanced up at Sokka with a small smile. "He's doing well, isn't he? As Avatar, I mean. The world's been at peace for three full years now; he's almost completely stopped the fighting."

"It wouldn't kill him to visit," Sokka grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Sokka," Katara frowned. "He's busy now. He can't be bothered with little things like –"

"_Friends?_" Sokka finished. Katara bit her lip, saying nothing. He sighed heavily. "Well, I'm going to bed now. 'Night, Katara."

"Goodnight…"

Later that night, Katara would lay awake for hours, studying the icy ceiling and thinking about a certain young airbender and wondering if he ever thought of her.

* * *

"You okay, Aang?"

The young Avatar turned to see the Fire Lord, scarred face contorted slightly in concern. "It's three in the morning. Why aren't you asleep?"

Aang shrugged. "I just couldn't sleep," he responded softly. He had been in the Fire Nation for a week now, talking with Zuko in an attempt to help settle a small rebellion that had started in the eastern Fire Nation. This was the fourth night in a row when he was plagued by an annoyingly incurable insomnia, forcing him to wander the gardens.

Zuko crossed his arms in silence, staring in silence at the lake where Aang had sat. "Why?"

"Dunno," Aang responded shortly, frowning at the water that reflected silver in the moonlight. "I just can't sleep."

Silence stretched for an eternity before Zuko offered quietly, "You're thinking of Katara, aren't you?"

Aang swung around to face the young Fire Lord, gray eyes fixed. Zuko didn't say anything further, just watched the Avatar in silence, waiting for a response. Aang lowered his eyes, turning slowly back to the lake. "What gives you that idea?"

"Because you really cared for her."

Zuko said the words as though he were stating a simple fact, like he was saying that it had been cloudier then usual the past few days. But for some reason, the statement surprised Aang…even if it was true.

"I guess so," Aang said softly.

The two fell into a silence that seemed to last an eternity. Finally, Zuko broke it.

"Why don't you visit her?"

"Are you kidding?" Aang snorted, frowning at the lake. "She doesn't want to see me. She's probably married now and everything; she doesn't want me hanging around bothering her…"

"Maybe," Zuko said. "I wouldn't know. This stuff was never really my strong suit."

Aang didn't respond, and after a couple of minutes, Zuko spoke again. "Well, for what it's worth, if it were me, I'd give it a shot. Nothing to loose at this point." He paused. "Go the hell to bed, alright? The last thing I need is the Avatar getting sick on my watch."

Aang grinned. "I will."

Zuko left, but Aang stayed, his eyes calmly taking in the sight of the water and the glowing white path the moon made on it. _It would just be a waste of time, _he thought. _She doesn't want me around. She probably doesn't even think of me anymore…_

He stood, brushing himself off and returning his gaze to the pond. Despite his conviction that Katara had forgot all about him, he couldn't help but wonder briefly if she ever even thought of him.

Probably not. But entertaining the notion made him feel better.

Aang went to his room and, after staring at the red ceiling for what seemed like an eternity, finally fell asleep, with the final query floating about his mind of whether or not Katara was thinking about him.


	2. New Hope, New Future

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Oh my GOD. Classes plus a musical plus a looong trip with band and chorus equals DEAD. My writers block didn't healp any, either. Y'know, you'd think that with two frickin' eighteen hour bus rides I would have been able to get something for this. Ha! Wrong. Jesus, I want Aida to be OVER. I was so thrilled when I didn't have dance last Firday until I remembered I still had to finish my costume. Which still isn't done. Whoops.

Review Responses:

Katara2102: Yay Kataang! XD

KansasMac: Glad I don't make you want to kill Katara. And I'm glad you like the story.

J Luc Pitard: Funny. I had less trouble writing that part than I did others. As for the weaving comment, it was nighttime and it was storming - not the ideal conditions to be out and about. Sorry if I didn't clarify that. In any case, thanks for the review.

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar.

* * *

The next morning, Aang was in a notably terrible mood. Getting only four hours of sleep will do that to a person.

"Morning," Zuko greeted shortly, sitting at the table a fair distance away from the irritable airbender.

"What's good about it?" Aang grumbled, rubbing his eyes. Damned insomnia.

Zuko glanced over at him. "I think I know a solution for your problem. But it requires flexibility on your part."

"What is it?"

"You'll find out," Zuko said in a noncommittal manner. "While I'm thinking of it, how's Toph?

* * *

A few weeks later, Katara had just spent half the night repairing a half-collapsed building on the other side of the city, and she was perfectly content to stay in bed all bloody day. She was warm. It was quiet. And more importantly, she was still tired…not tired enough to sleep, but tired enough to be overcome by an uncharacteristic bout of laziness.

But of course, she forgot to include Sokka in this equation.

The warrior in question was poking her relentlessly in her arm, repeating her name again and again. Like she'd be more inclined to answer the twentieth time then she was the nineteenth time. Of course, eventually the persistent badgering courtesy of her brother finally wore her down.

"What?" she grumbled curtly, glaring over at him.

"Have you forgotten what today is?"

She scowled. "Monday?"

"N – I'm not sure." He sat back. "The new school is opening today, remember?"

Katara groaned, pressing her forearm against her eyes. "How much time do we have?"

"A half hour."

"You're kidding me!" Katara scrambled to her feet. "I slept in?! Oh, Spirits – _damn it!_"

She scrambled across the room, snatching up her clothes. "Perfect! Just fricking – oh what _now?_"

Someone was at the door. Katara shot Sokka a wicked look. He rolled his eyes and went to see who it was as Katara threw on her clothes and jerked her hair into a braid. She heard a lightly amused voice call from the bedroom doorway, "Running late?"

"Shut it, Anola," Katara snapped, turning to her friend. "Come on, let's go."

"This is weird," Anola observed lightly. "Usually _you're _the one who's ready, and _I'm _running around like an arctic hen with its head cut off."

"_I said shut it._"

"Keep it up and you'll scare all the kids away," Sokka declared as the three left the house and started through the streets. As Katara made her way through the icy maze, she calmed. It felt good, walking through the streets of a great city and knowing that _she _helped to build it.

The new school that the three were traveling to was going to be the pinnacle of education – well, compared to the existing schools. A sizeable library had been organized that would also be open to the public. Classes included calligraphy, bending instruction, warrior instruction, mathematics, sciences, languages, history, and a few extraneous classes like musical instruction and sketching. There were twenty-five full-time teachers and fifteen part-time teachers at the time, but the number was expected to increase as more students were enrolled.

The trio rounded a corner, the school coming into view. It gleamed white in the cold Antarctic sun and a small crowd of people had gathered around it. As Anola wandered off in a separate direction to try to locate a friend of hers who was teaching at the school, Katara and Sokka started searching for their father. It didn't take long.

"Katara! Sokka!"

The siblings turned to see the warrior making his way through the shifting crowd a small smile on his face. Katara found a grin splitting her own face and called cheerfully, "Hey, Dad!"

Hakoda drew level with the two, resting his hands on their shoulders and looking at the building behind them. "Impressive. You two really outdid yourselves."

Katara smiled humbly and said nothing. The school had been her and Sokka's idea. Katara had been remembering schools in the Earth Kingdom – mainly Ba Sing Se University – and how they were so much more all-encompassing than the schools down here. Her and Sokka started discussing it and thought it would be beneficial, propelling the Southern Water Tribe even further into the new world that was being built up out of the ashes of war. Together, they came up with a plan and got a good building designed – one that was large enough to hold a good number of students and then some.

That was almost a year ago. Standing outside the newly finished building, Katara couldn't believe that it was finally completed. It had seemed to at once take an eternity and an instant. And in truth Katara couldn't have been happier with how it turned out.

As she was admiring the finished product, Katara felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see an elderly Waterbender, his icy eyes shining down at her. Katara found another smile working its way across her face. "Good morning, Master Pakku."

"Good morning," he said with a brief bow. He looked at Hakoda and asked seriously, "How did it go?"

"Nothing to worry about," Hakoda said, a bit more assertively then was absolutely necessary. "Me and my men would be greatly appreciative if the Elders would stop being so paranoid."

Pakku heaved a sigh. "You're telling the wrong person," he said firmly. "Besides, it's only a precaution."

"An unnecessary one," Hakoda grumbled.

Katara found herself completely ignorant to the subject matter the two men were discussing. She looked back and forth between them and asked irritably, "What are you talking about?"

Hakoda glanced at her and smiled lightly. "Don't worry about it, Katara," he assured her. "You should probably go up there and give your speech now, huh?"

Katara was shocked at being brushed off so easily by her father. Before she got a chance to protest, however, Sokka had grabbed her by the arm and was dragging her to the front of the school.

"Hey!" Katara objected, attempting to twist away from her brother. Sokka ignored her, pulling her along faster. "Sokka! What –"

"Katara," he cut her off firmly, "I don't know what's going on any more then you do, but we can't worry about it right now." He stopped short, pushing her lightly toward the platform in front of the school. "Just worry about giving your speech right now."

Katara considered disputing him but decided against it, climbing on top of the platform and turning to the sea of faces. She took a deep breath and began.

"A little more then four years ago, the place where I stand was only a plane of ice, the city around me a scattering of huts. The world was gripped in war, and hope was fading fast. It was all we could do to focus on surviving until tomorrow and praying that the Spirits would grant us just one more day.

"Now, those days are long gone. The war has been brought to an end, and we finally know peace. Our brothers and sisters from the North have joined us and have helped to rebuild our tribe. We now have a city, and we now have hope."

Katara scanned the crowd. Much to her surprise, she could not locate her father. She must have overlooked him. Shrugging it off, she continued.

"Behind me stands a building that embodies everything we have gained since the end of the war. Our city has grown. With it, so have our people. Now we can wake in the morning and not have to worry about what kind of world our daughters and sons and brothers and sisters will have to live in. We smile again, we laugh again, and we hope again.

"The Southern Water Tribe has risen beautifully from the ashes of war and is reaching its greatest potential. I am proud of my city, and I am proud of my people. This school is me and my brother's gift to them both. With it, I give to my people their future."

Katara heaved a relieved sigh and smiled. The crowd cheered receptively for her as she stepped down clumsily from the platform. Sokka reached out and steadied her, smiling as the churning crowd around them prepared to tour the school.

"Nice speech, Katara," Sokka complimented. Katara's grin grew wider and she thanked him. Much to her agitation, Anola interrupted them, looking very irritated and mildly distressed.

"There's an issue," she declared shortly. "You two are needed. Come on."

The two bewildered siblings were dragged through the sea of faces into a nearby town square, where Katara saw her father, Pakku, and a couple of the Elders.

"Still think it was paranoia?" Pakku said tersely, frowning at Hakoda. "Turns out it was a necessary precaution after all." Hakoda only frowned.

"What's going on?" Sokka cut in, fixing his eyes on his father.

Hakoda glanced at his son. "There's a problem," he said slowly. "I need you to run and round up the warriors. Anola, you go find the Waterbenders. Katara, you stay here."

"Dad, what's wrong?" Katara pressed as Anola and Sokka ran off.

Hakoda sighed heavily, pressing his hand over his eyes. "The Elders have insisted on constant sentries posted at various locations in the South Pole. The rumors of turmoil in the Fire Nation and unrest in the Southern Earth Kingdom really put them on edge, and they wanted to make sure we would have a heads up should anyone decide to attack us."

"But the fighting is over," insisted Katara, not too certain who she was trying to convince. "We just got the message last week that the rebellion in the Fire Nation was put down; I was there when they brought it to Pakku. And no one ever confirmed the unrest in the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, it seems that it was better to err on the side of caution," observed an Elder wryly.

Katara turned to Hakoda, giving him a slightly terrified look. "Dad?"

Hakoda fixed his eyes on the icy ground. "We just got word from a sentry in the north west," he said softly. "They spotted what appears to be a Fire Nation war ship."


	3. Friend or Foe?

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Thank you to Flowerpaw and sofyh for their reviews!

KansasMac: Building tention? Well, then this chapter is prone to explosion XD

Hey, guys! Yeah...musical has taken up all of my time, basically. I had no soul last week. Not even kidding. It's nice to be able to write again. Although sleep would be nice, too.

You guys are going to kill me at the end. Just letting you know. I'll write the next chapter ASAP, I swear to God!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. For which we are all thankful, I'm sure.

* * *

Katara jerked away, stunned. An attack from the Fire Nation? It couldn't be. There was peace for the last three years…what could Zuko possibly gain by attacking them?

"Why?" she questioned pleadingly. "What advantage could that possibly give them?"

"It seems the Avatar did not do quite as good a job as he could have," the same Elder as before said icily. "He can't even keep those Fire Dogs under control, with their limited army and navy and Earth Kingdom forces backing him up. What kind of pathetic –"

"Shut up!" Katara burst. Everyone turned to stare at her. She blushed. "I-I mean, that wasn't called for. Aang – that is, the _Avatar_ is doing a great job. I'd like to see you do better." She paused. "And don't call them Fire Dogs! It's not fair to condemn an entire nation on the mistakes of a misguided leader."

Hakoda placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile, showing that he agreed. "Katara may be right," he said. "We don't have any proof that these ships are here for a fight – not really. We should be prepared, but we shouldn't attack them."

"So you're suggesting that we just let the ship sail into our harbors with no resistance?" sneered the same Elder.

"Yes," Hakoda said firmly.

The argumentative Elder rolled his eyes. "I can't believe we're walking into this on the fickle whim on some woman."

"That's enough, Anaukaq," Pakku cut in angrily. "'That woman' just so happens to be one of the best Waterbenders in the world…not to mention one of the people who helped to stop the war." His eyes narrowed. "Do you trust her judgment?"

The Elder Anaukaq looked like he was going to say something but thought better of it. "Of course," he said with a mock bow to Katara. "We shall follow your lead – even over the edge of a cliff – oh great and wise master Katara."

Katara was furious but miraculously managed to bite her tongue and remain silent. The Elder straightened and a few others frowned at him in disapproval. Katara was relieved to know that his opinion was not necessarily the popular one.

"So," Hakoda said loudly, attracting the attention of everyone in the crowd, "our warriors and Benders will go the beach front and meet the ship. If they are peaceful, we will not attack. But if they want a fight, we'll give them one."

There was a murmur of concurrence and everyone set off to prepare for the unexpected. Katara stood and walked over to Hakoda. "Do you think we're in danger?" she asked in a low voice.

"I don't really think so," he murmured. "You were right to question what Fire Lord Zuko would gain by attacking us. He doesn't really have reason to."

Katara nodded in agreement. The two set off in silence to locate Sokka, who was gathering the warriors in case of an attack. It didn't wake long to locate him.

"Where's Anola?" Katara questioned after greeting her brother with a hug.

"Around," he responded vaguely. "Do you know what's happening?"

"A Fire Navy ship was spotted to the north-west of here," Hakoda clarified. "Most of us don't think that there'll be an attack, but better safe than sorry."

"I guess…" Sokka said slowly. He glanced at Katara and said quite openly, "Aang would kill Zuko if he started picking fights again."

"Sokka!"

"Well, it's true!" he insisted. "After all the work we did to get everyone to sit down, shut up and behave themselves –"

"_We_?" Katara echoed incredulously. "For Spirit's sake, Sokka, Aang did nearly all the work!"

"I believe that this is a conversation best saved for another time," Hakoda cut in in an amused voice. "Right now we need to focus on the Fire Navy ship."

"On the _what_?!"

Anola had caught up to them with as many proficient Waterbenders as she could round up. From the look on her face, no one had told her about the ship – and this probably wasn't the best way to inform her.

"We don't think that they will attack," Hakoda clarified hastily. "We're just being careful."

Anola shot him a wary look before shaking her head and glancing at Katara, indicating the Waterbenders. "They're all yours."

Katara smiled slightly before stepping forward as Anola went to join the other warriors.

"Don't strike first," Katara warned, addressing the Waterbenders. "We don't know whether or not they're hostile yet, and the last thing we want is to start another war."

"Oh, yes, Spirits forbid we get punished for defending our homes," quipped one Waterbender dryly.

Katara sighed heavily. "Look, I know a lot of us harbor hard feelings toward the Fire Nation – it's totally understandable." Her expression hardened. "But we can't just assume that they came here to annihilate us. If they're peaceful, not only do we run the risk of starting another conflict, but – well, quite frankly, we'll look like idiots."

"So what do you want us to _do_?" asked another Waterbender in an irritated voice.

"Just…stand by and stay prepared, alright?" Katara implored. "We don't know that they will attack – that doesn't necessarily mean that they _won't_."

"They will," the first Waterbender insisted.

"They _might_," Katara asserted, "but if they are coming here in peace…" she heaved another sigh. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright?"

There were scattered murmurs of assent. Katara smiled as brightly as she could and declared, "Alright, everyone, let's go."

The group of Waterbenders and warriors started off to the beach. Katara felt a growing feeling of apprehension in her stomach. She wanted desperately to believe that the Fire Nation ship meant no harm, but she couldn't guarantee it – not by a long shot. She honestly didn't know what she would do if another war started. She had just grown accustomed to peace – _peace_, for the first time in her life!

"Scared?" Sokka asked softly from beside her.

She hesitated. "I…" she blinked and swallowed, scrutinizing the ground as they passed it. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible to her own ears.

"_Yes_."

* * *

It seemed like all of the South Pole had gathered on the beach. 

Katara looked around nervously at the people, all of whom were focused on the horizon. Katara was too scared to glimpse the ship. Her heart was in her throat as she remembered the last time she saw one of those steel vessels on the horizon.

The memories wouldn't leave her.

She looked at the ground and saw crimson slashed across pure white and smelled smoke in the air. The memories disturbed her to her core and it took all of her willpower to remind herself that the memories were just that – memories.

After a short eternity, Katara gathered up the courage necessary to cast her eyes to the horizon. Her breath caught; the ship was so much closer then she had expected! No matter how much she had preached to the Waterbenders that the ship was harmless, she couldn't shake the horrid, pressing feeling of dread that the peace they had known was about to end.

Almost as though he sensed her distress, Sokka reached out and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "I'm sure it's going to be alright. They won't attack."

"And if they do," Anola put in curtly from the other side, "we'll just have to give them hell."

"You're not helping," Sokka snapped.

Katara shook her head. "I'm sure it'll be fine," she said. "I mean, they have no reason to attack us."

"As we have been reminded several times," Anola grumbled. "But then, what grounds did Sozin have –"

"Hey, Anola, how about you shut the hell up?" Sokka snarled.

"Stop," Katara said firmly. "Whatever is going to happen, we'll just have to face it."

The three fell silent, facing the oncoming ship. An eerie quiet consumed the crowd and a cold wind swept across the ocean toward the group. The air was thick with dread and fear. Not a single word fell from anyone's mouth for fear of shattering the encompassing spell.

Katara drew in a deep breath and leaned against Sokka. The ship was very close; it would land any minute now. The lurking dread that had been sulking in the pit of her stomach built up alarmingly as she watched the war ship approach.

Sokka wrapped an arm around Katara and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It'll be alright," he assured her softly.

Katara swallowed. She sure hoped so. The ship was now upon the shore, crunching to a stop in the stiff ice a short distance away.

They could do nothing but watch as the hatch was lowered with a hiss to create a ramp from the ominous ship to the snowy plain.


	4. Visitors

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16 

Ahhhhhhh. Sorry for the wait.

Review responses:

sofyh: Glad you liked it. Here's the next chapter!

LiveInThaskyE: Glad you like it, although I didn't find the typo you were talking about...?

Read. **_Review_**. Next chapter will be longer. That is all.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

* * *

Katara gripped her brother's hand, straining her eyes to see through the steam that surrounded the opening hatch. There was a figure there, but neither Katara nor anyone else could decipher any distinguishing characteristics. A flurry of nervous whispers fluttered through the crowd as they speculated who the figure was: a warrior? A general? The Fire Lord himself?

Whatever was expected, the truth was probably the last on everyone's list.

Standing at the top of the ramp, head angled toward the crowd, was a woman.

She wasn't really anything special to look at, really. Not ugly, but not exactly the definition of stunning. Her face was quite pretty, if you managed to glimpse it behind the ebony hair that swung in front of her eyes. Her hair was pulled into a simple style, with the top half in a rough ponytail and the bottom half hanging loose. Also present was a pale green headband that contrasted sharply with the blackness of her hair.

Most unremarkable, however, was her attire. She was dressed in a slightly scruffy brown coat that extended well past her knees. Her arms were crossed firmly over her stomach, as though the aforementioned coat had to be held shut.

The girl regarded the ramp warily, taking a cautious step onto the cool metal surface. The boot she was wearing slipped and she faltered, cursing softly. She straightened, took a deep breath, and continued her gradual, cautious descent, arms held out as though he was having difficulty keeping her balance.

Several painstaking moments passed until, after an eternity, her feet touched the snow. Her face relaxed, but only slightly. She took a deep breath and allowed her arms to slowly fall to her sides, as though every inch they moved caused her pain. Now she stood awkwardly, face trained toward the ground, bare hands clenching and unclenching.

"She's not wearing gloves," Anola observed softly, curious amusement lining her voice.

"Odd," Sokka muttered, frowning at he girl. "She must not have known how cold it would be."

The strange girl made no acknowledgement save for a slight frown when Anola spoke. However, when Sokka had answered, her head jerked up, her focus trained on Sokka. He blinked in surprise, wondering if he had offended her. She spoke not a word but instead slowly approached Sokka, a curious expression on her face, until she was a mere foot away.

Sokka blinked, stunned, studying the girl up close. She was familiar – something was in him was asserting that he had seen her before

Slowly, the girl lifted her hands and placed them on either side of Sokka's face. She blinked, her visage relaxing significantly as she gently explored Sokka's features. As she did, Sokka realized with a start who she was – he was shocked that it had taken him so long to really notice her eyes.

Finally, she brought her hands to rest lightly on his cheeks again before declaring softly, "I remember this face."

He smiled softly at her, even though she couldn't see it. "Good to see you, Toph."

Her face split into a wide grin. "Likewise, Ponytail."

The tension that had laced the crowd broke as everyone realized that their visitor wasn't a total stranger. Katara let out a gentle laugh, wrapping her old friend in a tight hug.

"How's it going, Sugar Queen?" Toph smirked, holding Katara at arms length.

"Wonderful," Katara beamed. "Spirits, look at you! You're nearly as tall as me now!"

Toph laughed, the sound deep and warm. "Yes, Katara, that's what tends to happen when people get older.

Katara laughed, pulling Toph into another quick hug. "Oh, it's wonderful to see you, Toph!" She paused, stepping back to get a good look at her friend. "What on earth are you wearing?"

The coat looked even worse up close. The coarse brown material formed a loose-fitting coat that was fastened roughly at the waist with a thin sash.

"I don't own much winter clothing," Toph shrugged, grinning softly. "I had to borrow this."

"Did you borrow the boots, too?" Sokka inquired.

"Duh!" Toph declared. "Like I own footwear…Spirits, I thought I was going to fall to my death coming down that damn ramp."

"I saw," Katara grinned, not noticing the new outbreak of whispers that rippled through the crowd. "Whom did you borrow it from?"

"From me," came a low, soft voice from behind Katara.

Katara jumped, spinning around. She smiled widely. "Zuko!"

The Fire Lord returned her smile with a small one of his own. He had grown, too, absolutely towering over Katara. His clothes were heavier then usual in light of their location, standing out against the backdrop of icy blues and grays like a cardinal resting on the snow. He bowed politely to Katara. "It's good to see you again."

"And you," Katara countered, returning the bow. She straightened. "What brings you to the South Pole?"

"Well, Katara, we figured it's been _way_ too long since was harassed you," Toph declared with a smirk.

Katara let out a warm laugh. "Well, I'm glad to have you two down here."

Zuko scanned the still-hovering crowd. "The village has grown," he observed softly.

"Oh, yes, defiantly," Katara said, trying to quash the pride in her voice. "It's quite the city now."

"Yeah, we just opened up a new school," Sokka interjected.

"You'll have to show us," Zuko said. "I can't wait to see how much the village has grown."

Katara paused, giving him a curious look. "That's right," she said slowly, "you never came here after the war ended, did you? The last time you were here…"

"That was when I tried to capture Aang the first time," Zuko murmured. A distant look crossed his face. "Spirits, that seems like an eternity ago…"

"Give or take a day," Toph quipped lightly.

Sokka smirked. "Man, have the times changed."

The group fell into a pensive, reminiscent silence before Toph interrupted it rather loudly.

"Ah, Katara, I forgot!" she exclaimed. "We brought something for you."

"What?" Katara inquired, intrigued.

Toph grinned slowly, angling herself toward the ship. "See for yourself."

Katara blinked at her before turning to the ship. After a moment, she caught sight of a shadowed figure hovering at the top of the ramp. She stepped forward warily, watching the ramp. After a moment of hesitation, the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

Katara felt her breath catch. Standing before her was someone that she had longed to see for years. He was taller, and visibly stronger. His eyes, ever the same, watched her with a mix of happiness and shyness, shining the color of a storm cloud. Entrapped in silent disbelief, all that Katara could do was stare at him in amazement, a slow smile working its way across her face as she whispered his name.

"_Aang._"


	5. Reunited

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Review Responses:

Flowerpaw: Thanks!

sofyh: Ah! Sorry! Here it is! Sorry it took so long! And glad you like the story

LiveInThaskyE: ...so, I'm going to be harassing my friend to start betaing for me again. Thanks for pointing those out, glad you like the story!

It's late. It's really, really late. My sincerest appologies. I really havent had a lot of time lately; see, finals were last week, and I got sick on a day when I had two of them, which I had to make up, thus...less writing time. Let's not forget the studying for ALL of my finals, and the SATs before that. Throw in drum major auditions and packing to go to my Dad's house, and...I have no life --

But it's up! It was going to be longer, but I split the chapter in half for the sake of time...and whatnot.

Disclaimer: Duh.

* * *

Katara stared in shock, rooted in place at the sight of the Airbender. Her heart fluttered in a mixture of joy and disbelief, a feeling that she promptly stifled in an attempt to retain control. 

Aang stared at her, an unreadable expression claiming his countenance. Slowly, he made his way down the ramp, his eyes never leaving her face. Katara kept her eyes locked with his gray ones, nervousness and excitement welling up inside of her as she watched her old friend descend from the ship.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he stopped in front of her, a nervous smile flickering across his face. Katara opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped her. So many things to say! What thought to voice first? I missed you? Look at how you've grown? Why didn't you write, you big jerk?

After several moments of contemplation, she shut her mouth and settled on a joyous smile. His own slightly anxious smile melted into a wide, warm grin, prompting Katara to finally find her voice.

"Aang…" her voice wavered, fading as nerves overtook her once more. "I…"

"Katara," he cut in softly, the smile never leaving his face, "it's…"

Now it was _his_ turn to fade away nervously, both too scared to voice what they were feeling. They averted their eyes from one another, gazing at the snow or the sky, hearts fluttering as they both wrestled internally with their words.

It was Aang who finally found his nerve again.

"You…" he paused, looking up into her eyes. "You're…as beautiful as I remembered."

Neither spoke immediately after that. Katara stared at him, stunned, while Aang averted his eyes warily. When he broke eye contact, the spell over Katara broke as well. A huge grin split her face and she practically threw herself at Aang, wrapping her arms tightly around the shocked Airbender.

"Aang," she smiled, warmth radiating from her voice, "it's wonderful to see you again." She pushed off of him, looking up at his face. It was like a dream, seeing him once again. How long had it been since she had seen his dancing eyes, heard his cheerful laugh?

Too long.

Aang smiled again, pulling Katara into another hug which she readily returned. "It's good to see you, too," he said. "I missed you so much…"

Katara blushed, burying her face further into his thick coat. "I've missed you, too…"

Suddenly Katara froze, remembering that she and Aang were not the only people on the tundra. She broke from the embrace and whirled around to see that thee entire tribe was watching them intently. The entire. Bloody. Tribe.

_Note to self,_ she thought, _kill Toph._

The aforementioned Earthbender was standing with her brother and the young Fire Lord, smirking happily. "It would be against your principles to warn a girl about things like this, wouldn't it?" Katara inquired dryly.

At that, Toph burst into laughter; even Zuko allowed a smug grin to claim his face.

"S-sorry," chucked Toph after she had calmed down a bit, "but I just _knew_ you would have the world's most priceless reaction."

Katara couldn't help the smile that spread back across her face. There was a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to catch sight of Momo settling of Aang's shoulder. Her grin broadened as she reached out to pet the little lemur. "Hey, Momo!" She then returned to the young Avatar, taking him by the hand. "Come on," she said, all nervousness banished, "let's go say hi to Sokka!"

"Ah!" Aang exclaimed in surprise as Katara gave his hand a sharp tug. She half dragged him over to her brother, who, like pretty much everyone else, was wearing a rather large grin. "Hey, Aang," he said, nodding to the Airbender.

"Hey, Sokka," Aang responded. "How are things going down here?"

A hint of pride flickered over Sokka's face. "Pretty good, actually," he said happily, "although Katara could tell you just as easily as I could. She does a lot of the work around here."

"Really?" Aang said, turning to face Katara. The Waterbender blushed, glancing at the snow. "I help," she confirmed.

"She's modest," Sokka informed Aang. "She does a lot more than what she's letting on."

Aang smiled, gently nudging Katara with his elbow. "How about you give me a tour?"

Katara hesitated momentarily. "I…"

"Oh, come on," Toph encouraged.

Katara heaved a dramatic sigh. "Well, if you insist…" she said, hiding her smug grin. "Come on, we'll show you the whole city."

* * *

As the chattering crowd started to disband, the Elders approached the small group. With the exception of Anaukaq, who regarded Zuko with barely-concealed suspicion, they greeted the newcomers warmly and offered their assistance in whatever way that they could. 

After this, the small group started wandered about the South Pole, Katara and Sokka pointing out some of the finer points of the city; a well-made fountain, a tea shop, new buildings for government, living quarters, and, of course, the school.

"This is impressive," Aang declared as he studied the new building. "And you and Sokka designed it?"

"Mm-hmm," Katara muttered, sweeping the building with her eyes. "Sokka and I hoped that it would encourage people to partake more in education that is offered to them."

"Not to mention a good place to learn bending," Sokka put in lightly.

Katara tucked some hair behind her ears, glancing at Aang. "Is Appa down here?"

"Yeah," Aang said. "He's on the ship. We didn't want to give it away that I was here."

Katara nodded in understanding. "So…" she said slowly, "are you planning on staying on the ship?"

"_No!_" Toph cut in, turning to Katara. "I will _not_ stay on that death trap any longer then possible!"

"Still afraid of the sea?" Sokka inquired.

"Yes! What was your first clue?"

Zuko frowned. "I would think that you would be able to see on the ship better then here because it's made of metal," he commented.

"I don't care! At least this is solid and doesn't move," she declared, stomping the snowy ground for emphasis.

Aang cleared his throat. "I guess we're staying on shore," he said.

"You can stay at me and Sokka's house," Katara offered. "It could get a mite crowded, but it has to be better then staying in an inn."

"That works," Aang said. "Sokka, can you come back with me to get Appa so I can figure out how to get to your house?"

"Sure," Sokka nodded, walking with the Airbender back to the ship. Katara watched the two retreat, heart fluttering when her eyes rested on Aang. She turned and led Toph and Zuko down the sidewalks and over the canals, through the icy maze to her home, impatiently awaiting Aang's return.


	6. Memories Of Us

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Review Responses:

Billeh: Glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter.

marisa Brauer: Zutara vs. Kataang? No, I only did that for my AU story, and that was one-sided; sorry. And I'm not really a big fan of triangles...or Taang. To offence to Taangers, I just never really liked it...sorry. Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

LiveInThaskyE: Thanks.

BlackBlur87: Glad you liked Katara's little speach. That was pretty fun to write, I'm not gonna lie. And I'm REALLY glad you like the story. Here's the nest chapter! XD

I like this chapter. I relly do. I think it's my favorite one so far.

Just to clear something up, this is **_NOT _**the last chapter of the story. When I re-read it, I was kind of like, "You know, I could get away with this being the last chapter if I was lazy enough." Fortunatly, I have too many other ideas for where I want to take this story for this to be the last chapter, although I'm not quite sure how long it'll be yet. I stopped making detailed plans a long time ago, when I figured out they only make me even MORE frustrated. Now I'm just like, "This is how I want it to start. I want this to happen. This is how it'll end. Okay, let's see what happens!" Hey, it works. I never was that good at following guidelines.

Disclaimer: Again, duh.

* * *

"So you went back to the Southern Air Temple?"

It was late, the moon's gentle beams lighting up the city of ice that surrounded the two. Katara and Aang, thoroughly excited to see each other again, opted to go for a walk, wandering the city as they chattered amiably. They had come to rest in a small square that consisted of some benches and a splendid fountain.

"I did," Aang confirmed, answering Katara's inquiry. "I searched the temple and surrounding mountain ranges in hopes of finding some surviving Airbenders." He dropped onto the edge of the fountain, his eyes distant. "I've pretty much resigned to them all being gone now."

Katara sat next to him, resting a hand on his arm. "Don't give up, Aang. Maybe some escaped. You can't prove they didn't."

"But I haven't found any evidence that they did," he countered softly.

Katara gave his arm a squeeze, offering him a small smile, which he returned. "Anyway," he continued, "since then it's been pretty frustrating. The Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom still have a lot of hostility toward each other, and getting them to cooperate is nearly impossible. One wants this, the other wants that…it's a nightmare. Things were finally starting to wind down a little bit when Zuko contacted me about an uprising in the eastern Fire Nation. We had just got that wrapped up before we got here."

"Spirits," Katara said softly. "I knew you would be busy, but I didn't think…"

The two fell silent. Aang leaned back slightly, looking up at the moon. His eyes grew distant again. "I thought about you a lot."

Katara blushed, grateful for the darkness that hid it. "Did you?"

"Mm-hm."

Katara blinked before allowing a small smile to grace her face. "Me, too…" she froze. "Ah…that is – what I _mean _is that I, um…"

Aang chuckled, grabbing her hand. "I know," he grinned.

Katara glanced down at their joined hands, her blush doubling in intensity. A new thought occurred to her, a question that actually bothered her. Uncertain as to whether she wished to learn the answer or not, she simply held her tongue, eyes focused on the glittering ground. But when the silence between them stretched for too long of a time, she was pushed into voicing her inquiry.

"If…if you…" the Waterbender hesitated, trying to work out how she should word it.

"What is it, Katara?" Aang pressed gently.

She bit her lip. "If you…still thought about me…if you hadn't forgotten me…"

Aang averted his eyes, guessing where this was leading.

"…Then why didn't you come back?"

Aang sighed heavily, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I…"

"For that matter," Katara cut in with a sudden wave of anger, "why did you leave us in the _first_ place?"

"Katara, _please,_" Aang snapped firmly. He frowned lightly at her, gray eyes unnaturally sharp in the pale light provided. "I didn't intend to hurt you, believe me. The way that I handled this was the best way. It will turn out better in the long run then it would have if I had stayed."

"My, you're self-confidant," Katara commented dryly.

"Katara," Aang said in a slightly exasperated voice, "I wasn't out to hurt you, or anyone for that matter. I told you that before I left." He looked her straight in the eye. "But please understand, Katara…I couldn't come back. I just couldn't. I had too many other things to worry about. The world was in a really fragile state when the war ended, and it _still_ isn't totally stable. I had to focus on trying to get the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom to cooperate with each other, to keep them from starting to fight again.

"Not only that, but I didn't know if you _wanted_ me around. For all I knew, you were married with kids and I was just a happily forgotten fragment of the past."

"Are you kidding me!?" Katara blurted. "Why would I forget about you? What would make you _think _that?"

"Well, _you_ didn't exactly make an effort to contact _me_," he argued irritably. "The door does swing both ways, Katara."

"Well, it _still_ comes back to the fact that this wouldn't _be_ an issue if you hadn't left us," Katara grumbled.

"And as I have already explained to you _several times_," Aang countered, "I had to leave. It was for the best." His eyes softened, just a little bit. "Leaving killed me. Leaving _you_ killed me. But I had to do it."

Aang hesitated before picking her hand up again. "And…just because I left," he continued softly, "doesn't mean I didn't care about you anymore."

Katara felt the Airbender press something into the palm of her hand. She looked down and gasped in shock at the object he had given her. An object that she hadn't seen in three and a half years.

"I kept it safe for you," Aang said softly, closing Katara's fist around the object. "Just like you asked me to. Believe me, I hardly let it out of my sight; it was the only reminder of you I had left."

Katara looked at her closed fist in silence, a couple of tears stinging her eyes. "I remember," she said softly, her mind going back to the day – or more specifically, the night – that she had given him the trinket. By no coincidence, it was also the last time she had seen him.

* * *

"I hate these formal parties," the young Earthbender growled.

"Why? Because you have to wear shoes?" Katara teased her gently.

Toph shot the fifteen-year-old girl a look that could kill. "That," she conceded irritably, "and I _can't freaking move in this bloody outfit._"

Katara laughed at the thirteen-year-old's irritation. "It's not that bad," she said with a smile. "And we can leave in an hour or so."

Toph simply gave her an incredulous look before declaring herself bored senseless and wandering off to find Sokka. Katara called after her to remind her (again) that playing practical jokes on the dignitaries was not the smartest thing to do. She then silently scanned the crowd, frowning in concentration. _It should _not _be this hard to find a person with a bright blue arrow on their head,_ she thought irritably. She wandered from guest to guest, inquiring them as to the whereabouts of the Avatar before finally hearing that he had been seen out on one of the balconies.

Katara weaved her way through the maze of people toward the balcony where her friend had been sighted. She saw him out there, leaning against the cold stone raining, his eyes trained on the city before him. She broke free from the crowd and made her way out to him, shivering in the cold. _Is he aware that it is __**wintertime**_? She thought with a scowl.

She stopped next to him, leaning her elbows on the stone railing. "What are you doing out here?" she asked him softly. "It's winter. You should come back in."

"I don't mind it," he said softly. "But you don't have to stay out here with me if you're cold. Go back inside where it's warm."

"I'm fine," she insisted before looking out to the city. "Wow…Omashu is so pretty at night."

"Yeah," Aang agreed, his eyes distant.

Silence reigned, making Katara uncomfortable. "Um…I'm…glad they finally got that treaty all worked out, huh?"

"It's just a working treaty," Aang said quietly, "and the first of many."

"It's still progress," Katara pointed out.

"I guess…"

Katara watched him in silence, her heart hurting for the young Avatar. "Aang, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself lately."

Aang gave a half-hearted shrug. "I guess I've just been focused on the treaty…I mean, the war's been over for six months and we've only just now got them to stop fighting."

"But that's good," Katara pointed out, "and now that it's all worked out –"

"But it's _not_ all worked out," Aang cut in earnestly. "Sure, we got the fighting to stop, but there's still so much to do. This treaty…it's only temporary. We still need to work out something more permanent, something that will serve everybody's needs, and we don't have that yet." He dropped his eyes. "What's more, it's going to be a long time until we _do _get it."

There was something about the young Avatar's demeanor that suggested that he wasn't telling Katara everything. She rested her hand on his back and asked softly, "Is there…something else?"

Aang started to respond, but his eyes locked with hers and he froze. He watched her for an unnaturally long time, his eyes sad and distant, with a third, unidentifiable emotion mixed in there. Finally, he dropped his gaze down to his hands and said softly, "No. There's nothing."

Katara's heart hurt as she watched the boy, head bowed and shoulders slumped. He has borne burdens that no one should have to know, much less a thirteen-year-old boy. She felt a driving need to cheer him up – to make him smile again, anything to see him smile again. As she was standing there next to him, trying to think of some way to relieve his burden for even a couple of minutes, she heard a new song come drifting out to where the two stood. A small smile crossed her face.

"Let's dance," she insisted, pulling him away from the banister. Aang gave a soft yelp of shock before falling against the older girl, a gentle blush covering his cheeks.

"I don't know how," he protested, even as he wound his arms uncertainly around Katara's waist.

"Neither do I," she grinned.

He blinked up at her in surprise before allowing a small smile to cross his face. He tugged her closer, grabbing one of her hands and holding it out a bit while keeping his other hand wrapped around her waist. Katara rested her head against his shoulder, realizing suddenly how much he had grown in the past year. The music surrounded them, wrapping around them like a blanket. Aang rested his head against Katara's as they silently moved with the music, occasionally getting a half a beat off and laughing softly and getting back with the tempo.

This is exactly how the two spent the rest of the night. They both would have been quite content to spend eternity there, wrapped in the music and taking comfort in each other's warm embrace.

It was not until much later that night that Katara appreciated the full gravity of Aang's internal struggle.

Something – some internal tug, some subconscious pull – had wrenched her from her sleep. They had returned to the home that was provided for them about three hours ago, exhausted and ready to fall asleep where they stood. Katara barely gave herself the time necessary to change into sleeping cloths, let her hair down and wash away (most) of the already minimal makeup that had been applied to her face before collapsing into her bed, quite confidant she would sleep like a dead rock and equally confidant that there was nothing short of the moon crashing into the earth that could rouse her before noon tomorrow.

Well, apparently the moon had just slammed into the earth, because it was one in the morning and Katara was wide-awake.

Quietly, so as not to arouse Toph, Katara placed her feet against the floor and slipped out of the bedroom. Slowly, she made her way down the hallway toward the kitchen, intent on getting something to put her to sleep. Some tea, maybe. Or a wordy epic poem, although she would have to make a detour to the house's modest library for that. She was filling the kettle with water for her tea when a flicker of movement outside the window caught her eye.

Cautiously, she set the kettle down and peered outside. There seemed to be someone moving about in the small garden where Appa was being kept. Frowning, Katara walked into the hallway and slowly made her way into the garden, looking for whomever she had seen moving around. It didn't take her long to notice a small figure not too far away, clad in warm yellows and oranges. Much more distinguishing, of course, was the blue arrow wrapped over the crown of his head.

"Aang?" she called out softly, her countenance betraying her surprise.

The boy whirled around, eyes wide in shock. "Katara!"

"What are you doing up?" she inquired, suspicion leaking into her voice.

"Ah…" he glanced around nervously, fidgeting under the older girl's uncharacteristically hard gaze. "I…um…woke up…and…couldn't…um…get back to sleep…so…I decided…to…go for a…walk?"

Katara narrowed her eyes. "So, you were asleep, but you just needed to take a quick walk?"

"Y-yeah," he said, averting his gaze. "Just, y'know, until I was…tired…again."

"Hm," she said shortly. "Then why aren't you in your nightclothes?"

"Ah…" he bit his lip, thinking. "I…just fell asleep in my clothes, I guess."

"You were wearing _formal _attire tonight, Aang."

Aang winced, training his eyes on the ground. "I…um…" he started before trailing off miserably. He looked up at Katara, eyes now containing a slightly more painful element. In a shocking breach of his usual personality, his words had run dry. He couldn't think of anything to say.

It was about at this point when Katara noticed the brown pack that he had strapped to his back.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice much harder then usual.

Aang didn't respond right away. Instead, he made his way over to a nearby bush against which his staff was resting. He picked it up before making his way back over to Katara. He stood before her in silence, leaning on his staff for support. His eyes looked at the ground, the trees, the moon – anywhere but at Katara. Finally, he said in a voice so soft that she could barely hear it, "I _have_ to go."

"But _why_?" she protested loudly, belatedly remembering to keep it down lest she wake Toph and Sokka. "Why are you going, Aang?"

In response, he held up a tightly rolled scroll in his hand. "I got these summons from Ba Sing Se today," he explained. "They're going to start working out the more permanent treaties in a month. I need to be there."

"If it's a month away, then why are you leaving _now_?" she asked, bewildered. "And for that matter, why aren't you waiting for the rest of us? We can come along, we can help!"

"I don't want to be any more of a burden to you guys," Aang explained softly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Katara admonished firmly. "You are not a burden to any of us. We're your family, Aang. We _want _to help you."

"But I _am_ a burden!" Aang protested, locking his eyes with Katara. "You and Sokka gave up a whole year for me, not to mention your family and your home. And Toph gave up her parents –"

"Are you insane?!" Katara cut in. "That's not being a burden! I love traveling with you, seeing all the different parts of the world – things that I would _never _have seen if it wasn't for you! And if it wasn't for you…if it wasn't for you, Aang, I wouldn't have ever learned Waterbending, Sokka would've _died_ from boredom, Toph would still be trapped in a life she hated, Zuko wouldn't be in line to be Fire Lord in a year or two, and _Ozai would have won!_ How, exactly, is that being a burden?!"

Aang winced, starting at the ground again. "You guys have already done more then enough for me," he explained. "You've stayed away from home for long enough." He lifted his head, looking her in the eye. "It's not your battle anymore, Katara. You don't need to stay with me – none of you do. You can go home now. I don't want to hold you back anymore."

"You are _not _holding us _back_," she insisted, exasperated. "We want to help, Aang."

No response came. Aang stood before her in silence, gripping his staff and focusing on the ground again – he found himself quite unable to look his best friend in the eye. Finally, Katara broke the silence, her voice quiet and choked.

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind, is there?"

His eyes briefly flickered to her face before returning to the ground. "No," he said softly, "nothing."

It seemed that all the world had fallen silent. Not a dog barked, not a breeze stirred. The night held perfectly still. To Katara, it felt like she was drowning in it. This couldn't be. Why? Why was the person she cared for more then anyone else in this world slipping away from her? What crime had she committed to deserve this punishment? _Why was he leaving her?_

Despite her efforts to the contrary, Katara felt a warm tear trickle down her cheek.

Aang gasped, his staff falling to the ground. In a flash, he was standing before Katara, his hand hesitantly cupping her cheek, eyes filled with sorrow. "No, Katara, please…I didn't mean to hurt you…"

Katara reached up and placed her hand over Aang's before focusing on his eyes – his eyes, which she had always loved so much. Watching him, she came to a shocking realization – there were tears in those storm-gray eyes.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he whispered.

Katara bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. She focused on the feel of his warm, soft hand against her skin, trying to imprint the feeling into her memory. He was leaving. He was really leaving. And Sprits knew when he'd return.

When Katara felt his hand slip away, a sense of panic welled in her chest – a sense that was promptly replaced by confusion when she heard his soft laughter. Her eyes flew open and she focused on the young Airbender before asking, "What's so funny?"

He held his hand up to that she could see it, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You were still wearing rogue," he explained. Sure enough, there were subtle traces of pink lingering on his fingertips.

Katara lifted her hand to her cheek, surprised. "I must not have washed if all off," she said aloud, pulling her hand back to see if she could detect any of the blush on there.

Aang watched her for a moment longer before his smile faded, his eyes loosing the light they had so fleetingly gained. "Well…I guess I should be going…" he said, his voice soft and sad. He turned to where Appa was waiting, making his way across the grass and picking his staff up on the way.

Katara blinked and lifted her eyes to look at Aang, gasping when it finally registered what he had just said. This was it. He was going. She may never see him again. This could be their final goodbye.

She might as well make it worthwhile.

"Aang!" she cried out, rushing after the retreating Airbender. Aang turned to face her, a surprised expression on his face, before Katara threw her self at him, wrapping the shocked boy in a tight hug as his staff once again clattered to the ground.

It was then that she pulled back slightly and kissed him.

Aang's eyes widened, his mind hardly processing what was happening. Katara's lips were soft and warm, her arms tight and comforting as she held onto him. Finally, the kiss registered with Aang, and he readily returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around Katara and leaning into the kiss.

After what felt like an eternity, the two separated. Katara pressed her forehead against Aang's, her cheeks wet with tears. She lifted her hand to rest against the side of his face, only to discover that he was crying, too. Everything that they had experienced, everything they saw, everything that they had done was coming to a peak. And truthfully, Katara didn't even know that the words she was about to say were true until they came out of her mouth.

"I love you," she choked.

Aang drew a deep, sharp breath, his grip on her tightening a bit. "Katara…"

Katara lifted her head to look at him, her eyes uncertain. "Don't tell me that you don't feel the same."

"No, I…" he sighed heavily, reaching down and picking up her hands. "I…I'm scared to tell you. I'm going away, Katara…I don't want you to –"

Katara effectively silenced him with another kiss, this one notably quicker and gentler. "I know," she said softly. "I understand. But…"

"I know," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her again.

They stayed like that for a long time, contentedly wrapped in each other's embrace, neither willing to let go and say goodbye. Aang was fully aware of the irony of the situation; Katara had told him what he had for so long yearned to hear from her, but not only was he going away, he couldn't return the sentiment. It wouldn't be right; he didn't know when he'd be back, he couldn't bind her anymore to him. Let her live her life and be happy; so long as she was happy, he tried to tell himself, then he would be, too.

Katara pulled back slightly. Aang squeezed his eyes shut; ironically, now _he _was the one who was putting off the inevitable. But instead of stepping away from him entirely, she just pressed something into the palm of his hand.

Aang opened his eyes and looked down, his breath catching in his throat. "Katara, no…I can't, it's yours!"

"I know," she assured him. "You keep it safe for me, alright? Just until I see you again."

"Katara, it's your mother's necklace!" Aang exclaimed, thrusting the necklace back to her. "I can't just –"

Katara silently shut his fist over the precious piece of jewelry. "You can," she said softly, "and you will." She caught his eye, and Aang could see that she was crying again. Aang looked down at the necklace, took a deep breath, and threw his arms around his best friend's neck, eyes squeezed shut in an effort to bite back the tears.

"Don't forget me," Katara whispered, hugging the boy tighter.

"I won't," he murmured. "I promise."

Aang detangled himself from Katara's arms, moving away slowly. He knelt in silence, scooping up his staff. He turned to Katara once last time, eyes full of sorrow and even some guilt – guilt for what? For leaving? Katara knew that he had to go. That just didn't make it any easier.

"Good-bye, Aang," Katara said softly. She folded her arms, shivering; she had just realized just how cold it was.

"It's not good-bye, Katara," Aang said with a small smile. "Not yet. It's more like…we'll see each other."

Katara allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. "Yes," she said, "we'll see each other."

Aang sent her one last grin before turning around and climbing on top of Appa. He looked back into the saddle and called out, "Ready, Momo?"

The tiny lemur chirped in response, lifting himself into the air briefly before landing gracefully on Aang's shoulder. Aang looked at Katara one last time before calling out, "Appa, yip-yip!"

With a groan, the bison pushed off of the land and took to the air. Katara tilted her head back, watching the bison turn around and start heading to the east of the city. She stood rooted in the spot, following Appa with her eyes until he was no longer in her sight. When he had disappeared, she let out a soft groan and dropped her head in her hands. He was gone. Truly gone.

With a heavy heart, she made her way back into the house, suddenly exhausted. She slipped into the room she was sharing with Toph, settling into the bed and pulling the covers up over her. She did wind up curing her insomnia, although it was not how she had initially thought she would. That night, for the first time in a long time, she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"Sokka and Toph were so ticked off the next morning," Katara recalled with a grin. "They were like, 'why didn't you wake us up?!' I told them that there was nothing they could have done to change your mind, but I think they were mostly mad because they didn't get to say goodbye."

Aang laughed. "Yeah, that was probably it," he grinned. "I was in the area of the Earth Kingdom where Toph was about a year after that for some negotiations and I ran into her. She cursed me out, sent me flying into the nearest tree, and wouldn't speak to me for a week and a half."

Katara grinned at the tale. "Just feel lucky that Sokka got over it," she pointed out. "Otherwise, you would have gotten pretty well acquainted with his boomerang when you landed here."

"I'd imagine," he chuckled.

Katara looked down at her necklace, fingering the design on the pendant. "You know," she said suddenly, "you never answered my one question."

"Which one?" he asked, puzzled.

"Before you left," she explained, "I asked you why you were leaving then when you still had a month before you had to be in Ba Sing Se."

"Ah."

Katara lifted an eyebrow. "So…why _did _you leave so early?"

"Two reasons," Aang explained. "One, I needed to have enough time to get from to Ba Sing Se from Omashu. Two…"

He hesitated. Katara nudged him. "Two?" she prompted.

"Well…I…the longer I would have stayed, the harder it would have been to leave you guys behind. I might have changed my mind."

"Such a tragedy," Katara muttered, rolling her eyes.

Aang shrugged. "I told you, you guys shouldn't have had to worry about it. Besides, since you came back home, you got to work on the city more, right?"

"I suppose so," Katara conceded slowly.

Aang folded his hands. "Anyway," he continued, "to give a more detailed answer to your earlier question about why I didn't come back, I never specifically told you my feelings for you, so I figured that you had just moved on. If that had happened and I had just shown up out of the blue…besides, I figured you were still pretty mad at me."

"I was," she admitted, "but I think I'm getting over it." She blinked, a slightly puzzled expression on her face, before asking, "So, wait…if you were so worried that I'd be mad or not want you around, why _did _you come back?"

"Zuko," he responded simply. "He was sick of me sulking so he decided to do something about it. After we settled the uprising, we met up with Toph and came down here. They didn't really give me a choice, although I'm kind of glad they didn't."

"I'm pretty happy about that, too," she grinned.

He sent her a small smile before looking down at his hands. "So," he said slowly, "I really wouldn't blame you if you didn't want hardly anything to do with me ever again –"

"Oh, _whatever_," she smirked.

His smile widened slightly before he continued. "I was kind of wondering if you wanted to…I don't know…pick up where we left off?"

She blushed gently. "I think that sounds like a pretty good idea," she said.

"Good," he declared, turning to face her, "because there's something I should have told you."

She looked up at him, more or less able to guess what he was about to say. "What?"

He reached out and took her hands in his, staring down at them for a moment before lifting his head and looking her in the eye.

"I love you, Katara."

This was not a surprise. This was not too unexpected. But it was something that Katara had yearned to hear from him for a long time, and there was probably nothing better then hearing him say those words and knowing that he was saying them to _her_.

"I love you, too," she smiled, pulling him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair. Both of them knew, without a doubt, that this was the happiest that either of them had been in three and a half years.

And this time, nothing was going to pull them apart.


	7. Vestige Of Resent

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Review Responses:

libowiekitty: Then I did my job XD

BlackBlur87: I just haven't given the characters a hard enough time yet. I need to torture them some more.

LiveInThaskyE: It won't drag out (I...hope?). I had an idea of where I wanted it to go, and that was definatly not the end. And the main conflict hasn't exactly been resolved...not yet. Just...one of the conflicts.

whirleeq: Yeah, I don't want to make it drag...nothing worse than forcing a fic. And Kataang is definatly the most adorable ship in Avatar.

Billeh: Not ending yet! Aang and Katara still have...issues. Please see summary.

30Kyu: Thanks!

Avvygirl: It's not going to die! Promise! And I'm sorry this thing took so long.

Wow. Words cannot express how sorry I am that this is so...pathetically...late. I fully intended to write over vacation, but it's been the textbook definition of maddness...that, and the lack of Avatar was kind of getting to me. Thank God for ComicCon giving me the kick that I needed.

Anyway, this chapter...really just starts setting the stage for what I see as the main conflict in the story. You'll see what I mean. And again, SORRY.

Disclaimer: Is this really necessary anymore?

* * *

Slowly, Aang and Katara made their way home. Katara smiled, glancing down at their joined hands as she navigated instinctively through the city streets. Aang grinned too, giving her land a light squeeze as they walked. They were about halfway home when Aang asked suddenly, "What's the chance of your brother killing me?"

It took Katara a second to figure out what he was talking about. When she did, she burst out laughing and threw her arms around his middle, halting the two in the middle of a bridge. "I'm a big girl now," she grinned. "Sokka's just going to have to get used to that."

Aang laughed, wrapping her in his embrace. "I love this," he declared softly. "I can't remember the last time I was this happy."

"Hmm," she murmured, the smile never fading from her face. The two remained like that for a few more moments before Katara broke away and grasped his hand. "Come on. We should get going before Sokka kills us _both._"

The two continued walking. Aang silently tilted his head back to look at the sky. "I always loved the moon at the poles," Aang said softly. "I had to go to the North Pole once for some negotiations, and the first night I was there, I didn't sleep at all. I just stood on a balcony and stared at the moon."

"It is beautiful," Katara agreed softly. She hesitated for a moment. "I'm…kind of surprised that you never even came to the South Pole…for, you know, political reasons."

He turned to her, a slightly panicked look in his eyes. "Katara, no, I d –"

"No, no, Aang, I didn't mean it that way!" Katara cut in quickly, kicking herself for having upset him. "I just…thought it odd, that's all. I mean, this isn't exactly a pitiful little gathering of tents anymore, is it? We're a city now."

"I guess the negotiations in the North took care of everything," he said. "Sorry I couldn't come down here when I had duties elsewhere." There was a definite hardness to his voice.

"No need to get upset with me," Katara grumbled.

Aang frowned. "Well, it's kind of hard _not_ to when you're accusing me o –"

"I'm not _accusing you_ of anything!" Katara barked angrily. "I was just making a simple observation; _you're_ the one who's blowing things out of proportion!"

A tired-looking warrior appeared in the door that Aang and Katara had been arguing in front of for a while. "As fascinating as all of this is," he said wearily, "would it be too much to ask that you have this conversation in _private?_"

"Sorry, Taruk," Katara said with a small smile. "How's Sikari?"

The warrior, Taruk, rolled his eyes. "I'll be happy when the baby comes," he declared flatly. "Just three more months…well, goodnight."

"'Night," Katara responded as the warrior disappeared behind the door.

The rest of the journey home passed in silence. It seemed to take an eternity to navigate through the icy maze of buildings and canals and bridges. It was hard to tell who was happier when Katara finally announced that the house was just one more block away.

"Where have you two been?!" Sokka barked as a greeting as Katara and Aang came in the door. "You've been gone for ages!"

"Oh, calm down," Toph snapped from her place by the fire. "They haven't seen each other in forever, they were just catching up. Besides, Katara can handle herself."

Sokka shot the two a suspicious look before stalking back over to the fire. Katara and Aang exchanged amused glances, and for a second forgot that they were mad at each other.

"Hungry?" Sokka asked shortly, shooting the two another look.

"More thirsty," Aang said. "Do you have tea?"

Sokka grunted in response, snatching a tea kettle off of the fire and pouring some water into a thick cup. "Katara?"

"I'll just get some bread," she said, retrieving a small loaf from a basket near the fire. With a moment of difficulty, she broke it in two, offering half of the loaf to Aang. He took it – more out of politeness than hunger – and caught her eye. She lifted an eyebrow at him, gave her brother a brief but meaningful glance, and mouthed at Aang, _I told you so._

Aang gave a short laugh, turning it quickly into a cough when Sokka turned to glare at him. "I'm…sorry," he whispered when Sokka had turned his back again.

Katara's expression softened. She gave a small sigh, leaning into Aang and murmuring, "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

He started to protest. "But –"

"No," she said, fixing her gaze with his. "I shouldn't have brought it up. It was my fault."

Aang shook his head. "I still overreacted. Forgive me?"

Katara smiled softly at him. "Only if you forgive me, too."

"Done," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. This would have been a beautiful, perfect moment…had it not been for Sokka.

"_What _are you two _doing_?!"

The hapless warrior, after finishing Aang's tea, had gotten wrapped up in a brief conversation with Zuko, therefore managing to completely miss the exchange between his sister and the Avatar. Now that he was bothering to notice them, he was giving the two a look that could kill, confirming Aang's earlier fears about Sokka's reaction to him being with Katara.

"It's _Aang_, Sokka," Katara said, exasperated. "You know you can trust him. Besides, since when am I not capable of running my own life?"

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Toph muttered lazily, stretching out. "I'm shocked it took them _this_ long."

Sokka scowled at Toph before looking back over at the couple. Katara had a look of defiance etched on her face; Aang, however, seemed a bit nervous. "We'll talk later," Sokka growled, pointing an accusatory finger at Aang.

"Oh, shut up and give the boy his tea," Toph grinned.

Sokka shoved the cup of hot drink at Aang, who took it quickly. He glanced down at the steaming tea before looking over at Katara, who had to fight back a laughing fit when she caught his eye. Aang grinned and returned his attention to his drink, delighting in the feel of her warm body against his.

For the next several minutes, the group settled into an easy, friendly conversation. Laughter and happy talk wrapped around the friends like a blanket, all of them happy to be in each other's presence again. It was rather late before they finally decided to turn in.

Katara gave Aang a hug goodnight before disappearing into her room, closely followed by Toph. After they had prepared for bed, Toph crawled into her blankets and settled onto her stomach. "So," she said softly, turning to where she thought Katara was (she was only off by about six inches), "what happened?"

Katara didn't have to ask what she meant. "Well…we talked about what happened, and –"

"What happened?" Toph echoed. "You mean when he _abandoned _us?"

Katara frowned, noting the bitterness in her friend's voice. "Don't tell me you're still mad?"

"Well, I wouldn't say mad, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not still a bit irritated that he just up and left," Toph conceded. "Come on, Katara, don't lie to me and tell me that you don't feel the same way."

Katara hesitated. "I…I do," she said softly, "but…I understand why he did it, so –"

"I understand it, too," Toph cut in. "I just don't like it."

Katara sighed. "He didn't mean any harm by it, Toph."

"Doesn't matter," Toph said shortly. "Seriously, though, you _can't_ tell me that you aren't the least bit frustrated with him for doing that."

"I…well…" Katara plucked at her blanket. "I guess I am still a bit…resentful about it. I just wish that he had trusted us more to help him, you know?"

"So, you're saying that you don't think he trusts us?"

"What?! Toph, that's not – _stop twisting my words around! _ You _know_ that's not what I meant." Katara sighed, pushing her loose hair out of her face. "I just thought that…I don't know. He's just so convinced that he was nothing but a burden to us, when that just isn't true! We wanted to be there for him, and…I just wish he knew that."

Toph seemed loss in thought for a moment. "I think he does," she said slowly. "But…well, it almost reminds you of when we were getting closer to the battle with Ozai, doesn't it? Like he was scared for our lives."

"That is kind of how he was acting," Katara said slowly. "But why would he be worried about our safety?"

"Maybe he wasn't," Toph shrugged. "Maybe it was more out of concern for out happiness or whatever."

"I guess that makes sense…" Katara muttered. After a moment, she shook herself and said, "Anyhow, we're together now, and Sokka's just going to have to get used to it."

Toph looked puzzled for a second before her face cracked into a grin. "No surprises there. But I'll ask again, what _exactly_ happened?"

Katara smiled distantly. "Well…he just gave me my necklace back…we talked a bit about what had happened…and he just asked if I wanted to be with him."

"Well, that's _boring_," Toph grumbled loudly.

"_Toph!_" Katara laughed.

"Well, it is! I'm sure if he thought about it a bit he could have come up with something a bit more _dramatic!_" Toph insisted.

Katara continued to chuckle, settling down into her bed of blankets. "Well, it was good enough for me."

Toph snorted before settling her head down on her arms, her eyes drifting shut. Several minutes of silence passed, and Katara would have been convinced that her friend was asleep had Toph not muttered in a near inaudible voice, "Well, I guess he needs to repopulate the Air Nomads _somehow._"

Meanwhile, in Sokka's room, he and Aang were having a little talk.

"So," Sokka started, settling down onto his blankets and lifting his hard gaze to look at Aang. "You're with my sister."

"Y-yeah." Aang took a deep breath, glancing up at his friend. "Listen –"

Sokka held up his hand to silence him. "I'm not going to yell at you or tell you not to touch her or anything like that," he said, effectively silencing any protests or defenses that Aang was going to offer. "However," he continued firmly, "you should know…you really hurt her when you left."

"I know," Aang said, studying his hands.

"No, you don't," Sokka asserted. "You have no idea. She cried herself to sleep every night for a long time. It took her a long time to get over it."

Aang took a deep breath. "I know," he repeated softly. "And I'm sorry, Sokka, I really am. I wasn't…I didn't want to hurt her."

"I didn't think you would," Sokka said. "But you still did." Sokka paused; he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. "I just don't want her to get hurt again."

"I'm not going to hurt her, Sokka."

Sokka looked the Avatar in the eye, and for what felt like the first time in his life, Aang was scared of him. "You make sure that you don't," Sokka growled. With that, he extinguished the lamp.

It took awhile for Aang to fall asleep. He lay for a long time, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that had happened today. As he lay there thinking, there was one thought that always hovered perpetually on the edge of his consciousness: Katara was wrong. Sokka hadn't gotten over Aang leaving them.


	8. Mistrust and Wanderlust

A/N: Member of the Boomeraang Squad...please see last chapter, it's three in the morning and I can't think.

Review Replies:

libowiekitty: That is correct. And I love to write Toph.

Aangsfan: Awkward suspense for the win XD

Billeh: Really? Um...well...Sokka's still ticked. That's all you need to know.

LiveInThaskyE: Thanks!

BlackBlur87: Oh. Of course. -shifty eyes-

Marching band and AP courses are in no way helpful when one is trying to write. That's all I have to say.

And OMG Awakening! Spaz, foam, and die. That is all.

Disclaimer: Blargh.

* * *

"I'm so happy for those two…it's about freaking time they hooked up! A good four years in the making, huh, Sokka?"

The only response the Earthbender got from the warrior was a disgruntled "hmph." She angled herself toward him slightly, her knuckles white from the death grip she had on Sokka's sleeve. "What's up with you?"

Sokka kicked angrily at a chunk of ice. "I just don't like it."

"Oh, for the love of the Spirits, Sokka!" Toph burst, startling several people on the street. She momentarily forgot herself and allowed his sleeve to slip from her grasp to round on him, only to grab on again. Her pale eyes shone viciously from behind her curtain of hair as she glared at him. "Just what the hell is wrong with you, anyway?! They're happy, that's – "

"But think about what he did!" Sokka cut in. "What's to keep him from abandoning Katara again, huh? Maybe he's changed! Maybe he just wants Katara so he can get laid or whatever! We d –"

The grip on Sokka's arm became rather vice-like, and he suddenly found himself a matter of inches from the face of the livid Earthbender.

"If you ever talk about him like that again, I'll rip out your tongue and use it as fish bait," she growled dangerously. "Twinkle Toes is a lot of things, but he's not a coward, and he's not some kind of jerk that's going to use your sister and leave her. He _loves_ her, and if you honestly can't see that, then I don't know how you can walk and talk at the same time."

"S-sorry," Sokka stammered. "I didn't mean it the way it came out."

Toph narrowed her eyes dangerously before loosening her grip on him. "I know you have issues with Aang," she said calmly, "but you have to trust Katara's judgment." And with that, she started walking again, dragging him along with her.

"You're taking this the wrong way," Sokka said hurriedly, stumbling as Toph pulled him along. "I like Aang; I just don't want Katara to get hurt again."

"She's not going to get hurt, you idiot!" Toph barked, clenching his arm. "How many times do I have to say it before it goes through your thick skull? _They love each other._ You're getting all worried over nothing!"

Wisely, Sokka opted not to respond; this wasn't going anywhere, they were just arguing in circles. Instead, he glanced at her and said quietly, "So, ah…win any…Earthbending tournaments lately?"

* * *

At home, Katara and Aang were entwined in a happy, warm embrace. They had decided to stay home for a while so they could enjoy each other's company a bit without having people rushing up to them for a chance to meet the great Avatar. Zuko was out, Sokka having taken him to see the Elders when Zuko mentioned he wanted some trade agreements ironed out while he was here, and Momo was curled up by the window.

Katara was leaning against Aang, her back pressed against his chest and her head resting on his shoulder. He had his arms wrapped loosely around her, tattooed hands folded on her stomach.

"Do you know what I want to do?" Katara murmured distantly, rubbing the back of Aang's hand with her thumb.

"Well, I could think of a lot of things," Aang chuckled, squeezing her gently, "but I don't think that any of them are the answer."

Katara nudged him gently with her elbow. "Mind out of the gutter." She snuggled deeper into his embrace, turning her head and burying her nose in his neck. "I kind of want to go back to the Earth Kingdom."

He looked down at her, surprised. "Really? Why?"

"Well…not necessarily to live or anything," she clarified, gazing up at him thoughtfully. "Just to visit. Maybe go back to some of the places we passed through when we were kids. What do you think?"

Aang grinned. "Toph and Sokka could, too!" he exclaimed. "It would be just like when we were younger."

"Yeah…" Katara smiled happily. She nudged him gently again and asked, "So when do you want to go?"

"I just got here!" Aang laughed.

"Oh, it's not like you'll never come here again," Katara grinned.

Aang shook his head, still chuckling softly. "We'll talk to the others," he said, tightening his grip on her. "I just want to wait a day or two, and then we can leave."

"Fine," Katara grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. Aang smiled gently and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before leaning back against the wall.

After a few moments of silence, Katara shifted in Aang's gentle grip, turning to face him a bit. Without speaking, she leaned up and pressed a kiss against his neck, placing her hand against his shoulder to steady herself. Startled, Aang looked down at her. "Katara?"

Silently, Katara dropped her head down slightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I missed you so much…"

Aang's eyes softened. Gently, he pulled her closer, murmuring against her ear, "I missed you, too…"

Katara pushed herself up, locking her eyes with his storm-shaded ones. Her hand reached out, her fingertips brushing against the soft skin of his face. Slowly, she leaned in, allowing her eyes to flicker shut. Taking her hint, Aang picked up his hand and pressed it against the back of her neck, pulling her near and closing the gap between them.

At first, they were hesitant. There was a light brush of the lips that sent shivers through their bodies, but little more. Presently, however, they both grew bolder. Katara captured his mouth with a kiss again, wrapping her arms around Aang's neck. Aang, in return, ghosted his hands down her back, hugging her close. The kiss intensified, both of them to allow their hands wander lightly as soft sighs escaped them.

Rather suddenly, however, Aang broke off the kiss, pulling back slightly and fixing his eyes on the ground. Katara sadly took note of the slight frown on his face and rested her hand on his shoulder, murmuring, "Is something wrong?"

Aang actually jumped, lifting his eyes to her. He gave her an artificially happy smile. "Of course not," he declared, leaning in and giving her a quick peck on the cheek as though nothing had happened.

Katara gave him a slightly stunned look. "Well, if you're sure…"

"Everything's fine," Aang reiterated with that same smile, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Promise."

Katara watched him warily for a moment before hesitantly leaning into him again, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. In response, Aang lifted his arms and draped them around her again. Katara, however, now felt somewhat strange with even just that little gesture.

You don't have to be an Earthbender to figure out when somebody's lying.


	9. Which Way to Memory Lane?

A/N: ...

Review Responses:

Anna: It may seem like I am, but I'm not abandoning this fic. I'm just really busy all the bloody time XP

libowiekitty: The plot will be clearer. Soon. Yes it will.

Canada Cowboy: Dang! Was that a review or a novel? XD Seriously, though, thank you very much for that. And you don't have to worry about me holding my fics hostage.

Well. Marching band is over in two days and counting. Maybe I'll be able to write now, knock on wood.

Disclaimer: Duh?

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, hang on, back up! So, just to be clear, you want to go…_where,_ now?" 

"The Earth Kingdom, Sokka," Katara reiterated in an exasperated tone as Toph grumbled, "Spirits, I didn't know you were stupid _and _deaf."

"Alright, so I wasn't imagining things," Sokka sighed, leaning back. The five friends had gathered around Sokka and Katara's small table and were eating dinner when Katara suggested to her brother they return to the Earth Kingdom.

"We don't have to go right away," Aang said. "Katara and I figured…well, perhaps we could wait just a couple of days before heading out."

Sokka shot him a wicked look before sighing heavily. "We can't," he grumbled, picking at his stewed sea prunes. "There's a storm that's supposed to him in a day or two. After that, we won't be able to travel for a few weeks."

Katara groaned softly. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Aang reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning his attention to her brother. "Sokka, any suggestions?"

Sokka frowned lightly. "We could always leave tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow?" Toph echoed in surprise. "But we just got here!"

"We either leave tomorrow or wait for two weeks," Sokka stated plainly, taking a bite of his dinner.

Katara looked over at Aang. "What do you think?"

"I'm open to whatever you want to do," he responded.

Katara chewed her lip, stirring her stewed sea prunes (a food that Aang was politely avoiding, Katara noted with interest) as she mulled over the situation. Finally, she looked over at Toph. "Do you want to say a bit longer?"

Toph grimaced. "No offence to you guys, but the sooner I get to land, the better. I'm sick of not being able to see."

Katara's heart jumped briefly in excitement. "So…are we agreed? We'll go tomorrow?"

"Zuko hasn't said anything," Aang said, glancing over at the young Fire Lord. "Are you okay with this?"

Zuko nodded, the smallest of smiles on his face. "I was planning of going back in a few days anyway. What with the Fire Nation as volatile as it is right now, I don't really want to risk being away for too long."

"Then it's settled," Toph declared matter-of-factly. She took a bite of the stewed sea prunes (which had been untouched by anyone but Sokka and Katara) and promptly spat it back out, growling, "_What the hell is this?!_"

"You know," Aang said thoughtfully, gazing down into his bowl, "I've always wondered that myself."

* * *

Katara was too excited for her own good the next day. Not long after the sun had risen, Katara, upon realizing that she had not yet been to see Appa, packed a quick lunch for later and dragged Aang out of his bed to take her to see their furry friend. 

Appa was in some stables in the western part of the city. At this time of day, almost no one was awake, so Katara and Aang got in undisturbed. Appa was sitting idly there, looking downright bored with his situation. Upon seeing Aang and Katara, he grunted happily.

"Appa!" Katara called out softly, smiling at him.

Appa rose to his six feet, happily licking Katara. Katara laughed good-naturedly, giving the great beast a hug. "It's wonderful to see you!"

Aang smiled, patting Appa on the nose. "How're you doing, buddy?"

Appa nudged his owner's hand, his great brown eyes blinking down at them. Katara started stroking Appa's thick white fur and glanced over at Aang. "Do you think…I mean, would it be okay if we went for a quick ride?"

"Sure!" Aang agreed promptly. He Airbended himself up onto Appa's head and held his hand out to Katara. She took it and pulled herself up, settling herself next to Aang as Appa made his way out of the stables. A cheerful cry of "Yip-yip!" cracked through the morning air, and moments later Katara found herself airborne.

"This is wonderful!" she exclaimed, laughing. "I almost forgot how much I love flying!"

Aang leaned back, maintaining a loose grip on the reins. He rested his stormy eyes on Katara, who was wearing a brilliant smile as they flew over the shimmering water. They went back over the land, the snow that blanketed the land glittering softly in the morning sun.

It felt as though they had been in the air for hours, making their way down the coast line. They noticed a group of penguins clustered on the land below, and Aang wasted no time in landing Appa.

"Don't you think we're a bit old for penguin sledding?" Katara teased as Aang jumped down.

"Never too old," Aang grinned as he helped her down. "Besides, I was just going to watch."

Katara gently settled against him, watching the funny little birds. Aang silently wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her a bit closer. In response, Katara, lifted her arms and rested them against his, whispering, "Do you remember the first thing you said to me?"

"Like I could ever forget," he murmured, placing a gentle kiss against her cheek.

"'Do you want to go penguin sledding with me?'" she reminisced in an undertone. "Of all of the things that I expected you to say, that was probably at the bottom of my list."

Aang laughed, hugging her a bit closer. "What was at the top of your list, then?"

"On, I don't know," she said lightly, snuggling against him. "I guess I didn't think about it too much. I was a bit distracted by the fact that I had just found a boy in an iceberg."

"Made for an interesting day, though, didn't it?"

Katara smirked. "Try an interesting _life._"

After a couple more minutes, Aang stepped back from Katara and retrieved the food Katara had packed. They settled down on the cold snow, leaning into Appa and into each other for warmth.

"I'm sorry there's not much variety," Katara apologized, handing him some bread and a small bowl of noodles. "Most of the food here is made of meat. I could have packed you some leftover stewed sea prunes, but I get the sense that they're not your favorite food."

"No offence, but you are absolutely correct," he said, taking the noodles and heating the bowl in his hand. "How did you keep these from spilling?"

"Tied some cloth over the top," Katara responded simply, extracting her own food from the pack.

"They're good," he said with a small smile.

"I hardly did anything," Katara said, ducking her head to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I appreciate it anyway," he declared. "You didn't have to pack a lunch."

"It's not a big deal," she insisted. "It's just food."

He grinned at her, and in that moment she could see as clear as day the boy he once was. Eyes bright and hopeful, smile seemingly unwavering…she remembered his innocent curiosity and playfulness, an attribute that got them into trouble on more then one occasion. She had missed that side of him, the carefree side that had faded so quickly upon seeing the terrors of the war. Nothing would make her happier then him having that simple happiness back…

"Katara?"

Katara started, blinking at Aang. "Sorry," she muttered, fixing her gaze on her food. "I was just…thinking."

He watched her curiously for a moment. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What were you thinking about?"

Katara hesitated. "The…the war, in a way." She paused. "Do you think about it a lot?"

"I try not to, actually," Aang muttered. "That hardly goes over well, of course, seeing as how I've spent the last several years fighting to keep it from breaking out again. It's part of my life whether I like it or not."

Katara felt a sharp pang; she felt terrible for bringing it up. She silently set aside her lunch and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her face into his coat. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Aang relaxed slightly. "Don't be," he said softly, settling his hand against her hair. "You didn't do anything wrong." Slowly, he pushed himself off of the ground, pulling Katara along with him. "We should get going," he said, looking at the sun. "Sokka is probably having a fit right about now."

"Probably," Katara agreed, pulling herself up onto Appa. "I'd imagine he wants to start out soon."

Aang frowned lightly. "Today? But it's nearly mid-day. Wouldn't it make more sense to leave tomorrow morning?"

Katara shrugged. "Knowing Sokka, he'll be taking extra measures to beat the storm. I really wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to head out today."

Aang thought for a moment, adjusting his grip on the reins. "You're probably right," he conceded finally. Less than a minute later, Appa was in the air again.

Katara watched as the landscape zoomed by underneath of them. She gasped when she saw an ugly scar of steel-gray against the pure white snow. "Aang, look – it's the ship."

Aang looked down, his eyes growing distant. "I can't believe that's still here…" he muttered. "That's how Zuko found us. He saw the flare we sent off."

"I know this sounds odd, but I'm kind of glad he found us," Katara confessed. "He kind of gave you the push you needed to take up your role as Avatar."

"Yeah," Aang agreed shortly, staring straight forward. Katara frowned at him, surprised at his behavior, but she made no comment. She leaned back and gazed out at the washed-out blue of the sky, the old Fire Navy ship vanishing in the distance behind them.

* * *

When Katara and Aang returned, they found a shockingly calm Sokka. He informed them that yes, he was planning on getting at least some flying in today, but only if it was alright with them. He made no mention of their absence of several hours, although it is notable to mention that Toph was hovering threateningly nearby almost the entire time, leading Katara to believe that something very interesting had transpired while they were out.

Zuko left very shortly after Katara and Aang returned. He had only lingered this long so that he could pay Aang and Katara his proper respects but as soon as he bade them goodbye and thanked Katara for her hospitality, he was off. He had insisted that it was because he didn't want to leave his nation for too long, but Aang saw another motive in his actions.

"Well, Mai's pregnant, isn't she?" Aang said to Katara after Zuko had left on his ship. "It's no wonder he wanted to get back so soon, he probably wants to be with her."

"I didn't know she was pregnant," Katara said in surprise. Mai and Zuko had married shortly after the war ended, and they served as support for each other. Katara was happy for them; it was no wonder that Zuko wanted so badly to go home.

It didn't take long for the four friends to pack for their journey. Toph and Aang never really unpacked, and Sokka and Katara knew that they wouldn't need too much. They packed some lighter clothing and a few simple supplies, making for some very light travel bags. Within an hour, they were ready to move out as well.

Katara noticed quickly that Sokka was being somewhat cool toward her and Aang. She wanted to question Toph, but as Sokka was hovering around them constantly there was no opportunity.

Hakoda came by to say goodbye to them. He pulled Sokka into one of the rooms with him rather abruptly and had a conversation with him that the others couldn't hear. When they emerged, Hakoda's visage was carefully impassive, while Sokka was visibly fighting to keep his disgruntled expression down.

"I suppose I'll see you kids later," he said to them, smiling. "Have fun…and be safe." His eyes grew serious. "Remember, you kids are the ones who stopped Ozai – you are not without enemies. You need to watch each other's backs."

A troubled expression marred Aang's face, although Katara seemed to be the only one to notice it. Before she could say anything, however, her father pulled her into a strong hug. She returned the embrace and bade her father goodbye. Hakoda grasped hands with Sokka, Aang, and Toph before going on his way. Katara glanced over at Aang; he still seemed very anxious, although Katara was unsure as to why.

They left Katara and Sokka's small house, clambering onto Appa as Aang Airbended himself up onto Appa's head. Aang called out a firm "yip-yip" to the flying bison, and with that they rose into the sky.

"So, where do we want to go?" Sokka asked out loud, spreading out a map before him.

"I don't suppose you want to go to Kyoshi?" Aang called over his shoulder.

Sokka hesitated. "I don't know…I mean, I haven't spoken to Suki in forever."

"So we'll stop in Kyoshi and see her," Aang grinned. "Where to after that? Omashu?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Sokka said, marking something on the map. "Although I kind of wanted to go west, maybe swing by Gaoling –"

"Over my dead body!" Toph snarled.

Sokka lifted an eyebrow. "Okay…uh…forget Gaoling, then. Where else do we want to go?"

"Maybe we should just wait and see," Katara suggested. "We can figure this out as we go."

Sokka hesitated. "Well…yeah, I guess so," he said finally, slowly rolling up the mad. "So long as we know where we're going first."

Katara nodded and glanced over at Aang. She silently pushed herself to her feel and made her way over to him, settling next to him. He didn't look at her, instead keeping his vision trained forward. Katara sighed sadly, but she didn't move. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Aang, but she didn't want to leave him to deal with it on his own.

She linked her arm with his, her head resting on his shoulder. Aang shifted the smallest bit closer, and Katara saw how tired he looked.

"Do you want to rest?" she offered softly. "I can fly Appa."

"I'm fine," he said softly, giving her the smallest of smiles. She returned the gesture and rested her head on his shoulder again, looking away so he couldn't see her eyes and the pain for him that she held in them.


	10. Mirror

A/N: Ow my brain.

Canada Cowboy: I don't know if Roku will play a part in this fic. Probably will in Mountains, though.

libowiekitty: Well, it was true XD

Billeh: Fluff makes everything better!

hanna145fancy: It's going. Plot will be...slightly more evident this chapter, even though most of it is just...rambling. Thanks!

Katara2102: ...Aang's not hiding anything. -shifty eyes-

SummerSweetheart: Sorry this took so long DX

BlackBlur87: Oh. Right. Must have misread the map XD

akirethe12th-tolast-airbender: Marching band kills. Truest fax.

Um. This chapter freaking killed me. It was just so...argh. I couldn't freaking figure out what to write! My sincerest appologies for the insanely long wait.

On a totally unrelated note, HOLY Day of Black Sun! Canon makes me a very, very happy camper.

Disclaimer: I am so sick and tired of doing these...

* * *

_Look at her…_

Aang opened his eyes, drinking in the sight that graced his vision. The first thing he saw was Katara, resplendent in her simple white dress. She was sitting in a field, her hair tossed over her shoulder and a bundle of flowers by her side. She had a couple of them in her grasp and was weaving them into a wreath, her bright blue eyes never straying from her task.

…_Isn't she beautiful?_

_Beautiful,_ Aang agreed wordlessly.

Even though he was very sure that he had not spoken aloud, Katara lifted her head when this one word drifted through his mind. A dazzling smile lit up her face. "Come sit with me, Aang," she called in her musical voice.

Slowly, he made his way through the grassy lea, his eyes never straying from her face. The sun was warm – warm, but not hot, enough to fight away and chill but not enough to make the two damp with sweat. The sky above them was a glorious blue and completely devoid of clouds. And in the distance Aang could see the boundary of a forest that he could see was teeming with wildlife even from where he sat.

_You want to protect her, don't you?_

Aang turned his head to Katara, watching as she skillfully wove the fragrant flowers into an elegant wreath. _Of course_.

_Do you love her?_

"More than anything," he whispered.

Katara lifted her head in gentle surprise. "What was that?"

"Ah, nothing," Aang assured her with a smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Just thinking out loud, that's all."

She gave him a happy grin and returned to her carefree work, leaning softly into his body. He gazed down at her, his heart swelled with an indescribable love for her…

_It's a pity you can't protect her._

Aang blinked in shock._Wh-what? What are you talking about? I'm the Avatar! Of course I can protect her! _

_Can you protect her from everything, everyone?_

"Yes, yes, I can," Aang growled. Katara paused, blinking up at him.

_I wouldn't be so sure if I were you_…

Suddenly, the grass on the ground came alive. It wrapped itself around Aang legs and wrists, wrenching him away from a very surprised Katara. She tried to help him, but the snake-like grasses latched on to her, too, dragging her away from him. Aang struggled, trying to burn the grasses away, but they seemed to be impervious to flame. This was strange, however, because even as the grass that bound him refused to ignite, the grass surrounding him did.

In no time, the air was full of smoke and ash. It lay thick in the air, blackening his vision and making his breathing more labored. He strained his eyes to see through the ebony clouds, coughing and choking as he called Katara's name.

Then, suddenly, there was a clear path through the smoke and fire. The grass that fettered Aang retreated back into the ground, and the smoke and ash vanished from the air and the ground, forming a path that unfolded before him. And at the end of this path was Katara, laying on her side in the dirt, back facing him.

Aang scrambled forward, falling to his knees beside her. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, gently turning her over so that he could see her face.

His heart almost stopped at the sight.

Charred flesh, burned cloth, marred skin…he let out a strangled cry, his grip tightening. He couldn't draw a breath. She was dead. Dead. Dead. She couldn't see him, hear him, feel him…she was lost to him now, forever.

As Aang sat hunched over her lifeless body, tears rolling down his cheeks, he heard like a distant echo, _Couldn't protect her from yourself, now, could you?_

* * *

Aang was wrenched violently from his sleep as though he ahd been slapped. He lay there, shaking slightly and staring at the night sky above him, trying to catch his breath. 

It was late – very late – but they had opted to fly through the night. Sokka was at the reins right now, but they would probably switch back off in about an hour or so. They would break at dawn to rest for a while, and then it was on to Kyoshi Island.

Slowly, Aang turned his head, and saw Katara laying a few feet away from him, her back facing him. A knot formed in his chest at the sight. It was so familiar…could it be that that had actually happened, that Katara was really dead?

Slowly, Aang crawled over to wehre she was sleeping. He reached out a tentative hand, grasping her shoulder and turning her so that she faced him…

Whole, beautiful and sound asleep, of course. Aang smiled to himself; he ahd been silly to worry. Of course it was just a dream…

Aang clenched his fists, willing his heart to slow down. Bits of the dream hung in his mind like a persstant fog, hovering at the edge of his conciousness no matter how much he tried to push them away. He couldn't shake the images, although he wanted nothing more than for them to be chased away.

"Aang?"

Aang jumped, looking down at Katara in shock. She blinked up at him, a perplexed look painted on her tired face. "Aang, what are you doing?" she murmured sleepily. "It's the middle of the night."

"I was just…thinking," he said slowly, averting his eyes. "Go back to sleep."

She blinke up at him, stretching out her hand and brushing her fingers against his cheek. He shivered gently as he watched her, reaching up and covering her small hand with one of his own.

"What's wrong?" she questioned gently.

He shook his head slowly. "I just…had a nightmare, that's all."

Concern flickered across her visage. Slowly, she reached over and grasped his shoulder, pulling a very stunned Avatar down to lay beside her. She smiled at him and said softly, "Try to get some sleep."

He couldn't help but grin at her. He draped his arm gently over her, pulling her warm body against his and shutting his eyes.

But the dream hovered at the edge of his mind still, and it was a long time before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey! Wake up, you two, we're landing!"

Katara blinked a couple of times, squinting into the bright light. Toph was squatting by Aang, shaking his shoulder and trying to rouse him from his sleep.

"I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He sat up slightly and gently nudged Katara, who was already wide awake, and said, "Katara?"

"I'm up," she said, reiterating his earlier sentiments. Exerting an astounding amount of effort, she pushed herself up on one arm, taking in her surroundings. They had landed on a somewhat rocky beach, and not too far off, craggy, steep mountains jutted into the horizon.

"Wait a sec," Aang said slowly, squinting. "Those are the Batolas. Why – "

"Not my idea," Toph interrupted with a casual shrug. "Sokka thought here was as good as anywhere."

Katara gasped; it had finally registered where she had heard the name before. "When were you here last?" she asked Aang in a hushed voice.

"It's been a while," he said distantly. "I got the temple cleaned up, for the most part, and after that I scoured the area for Airbenders. There weren't any, of course," he added sadly.

Katara reached down and grabbed his hand, more than a little angry with Sokka for putting Aang through this. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be," he responded, giving her a small smile. "It wasn't your fault. Besides," he continued, squeeing her hand, "I have a new family now."

They climbed down from Appa's saddle, wandering over to where Sokka had set up a small fire. "So what's the plan?" Aang inquired, taking a seat on the ground. "And why didn't you wake me up last night?"

"I forgot," Sokka responded casually, focusing on the small fire. "And as far as plans go…I don't know. The sooner we get to Kyoshi, the better, but Appa really needs to rest."

"We couldn't help flying through the night," Katara pointed out. "We couldn't find any islands big enough to rest on."

"I know," Sokka said. "I'm just trying to determine how long he'll need to rest…Aang, what do you think?"

Aang was thoughtful. "Last time, we took a few days to get to Kyoshi from here," he said slowly, "but tehn we were flying from the Southern Air Temple. We're a little bit closer this time. That, and last time we veered too far east for a day or so and had to get back on course. So…I think if we do this right, we could get to Kyoshi in two days."

"Two days?!" Toph exclaimed. She groaned, flopping down on the ground. "Spirits, how I hate flying…"

It was decided that they would take the remainder of the day to rest and set off again the next morning. They would rest again that night, and by the next night, they should be at Kyoshi Island.

The day passed slowly. They set up camp and scrounged for fuel for the fire, but other then that there was very little to do. Toph removed her meteorite armband – which she continued to wear, even if her clothes hid it – and started playing with it, forming it into different shapes (some of which were obscene enough that Katara would start yelling once she saw them). Sokka stared at some maps for a while, no doubt trying to determine their course, but even that got old after a while and he resigned to silently watching Toph with her meteorite bracelet. Aang and Katara practiced Waterbending for a short time, but they weren't really focused and gave up on it rather quickly.

Needless to say, night couldn't come soon enough. They didn't wait too long after darkness fell to go to bed, hoping to get an early start the next morning.

They left on Appa as the sun came up. The day passed in painful monotony, with everyone staring out in silence at the expanse of sea below them, and it was hard to tell who was the happiest when they finally rested for the night. They set out again the next morning at dawn. If nothing happened, they should be at Kyoshi around nightfall. Just when the day looked like it would be exactly like the previous one, Toph broke the silence and asked, "Do you guys want to hear an Earth Kingdom myth?"

All eyes turned to her. "Where did that come from?" Sokka asked incredulously.

"I'm bored," Toph answered flatly. "It's something I heard at an Earthbending Tournament."

"What's it about?"

"A spirit," Toph responded, laying back and folding her arms behind her head.

"Tell it," Katara encouraged with a smile.

Toph grinned, and she started.

"Once, thousands of years ago, there was a spirit who wandered the forests of the Earth Kingdom. She loved the Earth and Nature, and never wanted to be without them.

"Once, she happened upon a wide path in the forest. She had never seen such a thing before. She followed it, not liking the way the sun cut through the trees so easily here. At the end of the path was a small village, maybe…five families big.

"She asked them, 'Did you cut this path?' And the head of the village told her that the people of the village made the path by accident when they walked between their village and the neighboring one.

"The spirit was pissed. She told them that human activity was hurting Nature, and they should be punished. They protested, but she didn't care, and she destroyed their village and the people in it."

"That sounds harsh," Sokka cut in.

Toph sat up and scowled at him before continuing.

"So, the spirit of the forest showed up, and he got all mad at her, and told her that everything affects the environment, and that a little path doesn't hurt anything. He said that humans were just as much a part of the Earth as any tree or animal or spirit, and they could protect it as well as they could harm it. He told her that she acted rashly, and banished her to live among the stars.

"The spirit was devastated. She begged him to reconsider, and finally he decided upon a different fate. 'You will take a mortal form,' he insisted, 'and live among the humans so that you can better watch over the Earth, and the people who live there.' She thought that meant she would become an animal of some sort, but instead, she was turned _into_ a human."

"Sounds kind of like the Avatar," Aang observed quietly.

"But she wasn't," Toph clarified. "She was just a normal spirit. But when she was turned human, she was delegated the duty to protect and love the Earth…not quite like the Avatar, because she doesn't have to have bending powers or anything. She just wound up being a human who really loved the Earth." She stretched in silence before adding, "Some people say that she was reincarnated as Oma at one point, but you can't prove that."

"You can't prove any of it," Sokka pointed out. "This myth is probably just that: a myth."

"Maybe," Aang said. "But it could have been real."

"The Southern Water Tribe has a really similar myth," Katara said thoughtfully. "A spirit was sitting on an iceburg when he saw a canoe holding a woman overturn. The spirit saved her life, and was smitten by her. A trickster spirit saw this, and –"

"It wasn't a trickster," Sokka interrupted. "It was a river spirit."

"No it wasn't," Katara frowned. "What would a river spirit be doing in the South Pole, anyway?"

"I'm telling you, Katara, it was a river spirit!"

"It most certainly was _not!_" she insisted. "You know what, you're getting confused, you're thinking of –"

"_Get on with the stupid story!_" Toph burst angrily.

Katara jumped. "Right! Of course! Sorry. Um…where was I?"

"Trickster spirit."

"Trickster spirit! Thank you, Aang. Anyway, the trickster spirit – _it was not a river spirit!_ – saw that the spirit that was sitting on the iceberg loved the woman he rescued, and said, 'What a noble act! Surely you would want a reward?' And the spirit, not knowing the intentions of the trickster spirit, agreed, and the trickster spirit – who was the more powerful of the two – agreed to grant him one wish.

"The spirit wished to be human, and he went down to the South Pole and found the woman and married her. What he didn't know is that the trickster spirit had a catch in his wish. The woman died when giving birth to their son, and the spirit-turned-human was overcome with grief. The catch was that even though the spirit-turned-human would always find love in his life, he would be destined to lose it, and he alone has the power to break the curse."

"It was a river spirit," Sokka grumbled.

"It wasn't! Tell which one is more likely to trick someone: a river spirit, or a_trickster_ spirit?" She paused for a moment. "You know what you're thinking of? That one North Pole myth that Gran-Gran told us."

Sokka frowned. "Which one?"

"Oh, you remember! The one about the river spirits and the human village?"

"…No."

Katara gave him an astonished look. "You can't remember it? Two river spirits, as different as night and day, were walking across a field of snow. The one on the right was pale with hair the color of the sun, and the one on the left was dark with hair the color of night. As they walked, they stumbled across a village, and they saw the suffering of humankind. They decided to willingly become humans so that they could help humankind. They did so, and the pale one went as far north as she could go while the dark one went south. They never saw each other again, although they were destined to meet each other in some form each life time after that."

Sokka blinked slowly. "I remember that now," he said slowly. "But I thought it was a river spirit and a spirit from the desert, not two river spirits."

"I thought it was two river spirits," Katara said. "I could be wrong, of course."

"What about you, Aang?" Toph asked abruptly, startling the others. "Do you have any Air Nomad stories?"

Aang thought for a minute. "There was one that I remember," he said slowly. "A boy was walking through the mountains, lost and afraid, when he heard a voice from the trees whisper the way that he was supposed to go. He looked at the trees but saw no one. When he brought his eyes back to the ground, he saw the path he was supposed to take was full of blooming lilies.

"He followed the path, but it didn't lead him home. Instead, it led him to a small pool of clear waster that was so still that it looked like glass. He knelt and looked into the pool, and saw thousands upon thousands of men and women staring back at him. He was afraid, but a woman appeared behind him and took him in her arms and said, 'Don't be afraid. I will watch over you.'"

Untouchable silence reigned over the small group; none of the other tales had captivated their attention quite like this one. Aang, who apparently didn't notice anything different, continued.

"The boy was confused, of course, but he was no longer afraid. When he asked the woman who she was, she responded, 'A friend. Now, you are needed; you have a great destiny to fulfill.' The boy didn't believe her, and grew afraid once again. When he pulled away from her, he stumbled on a rock, fell into the pool, and drowned."

Katara gasped in shock and Sokka flinched. Even Toph reacted, her eyes growing a fraction of an inch wider. Aang paused and glanced around at his friends before continuing.

"The woman – who was a spirit in truth – tried to lead the boy to the spirit world, but he resisted. He said that he wanted to stay on Earth, with his family and his friends. The woman could not restore him to his body. Instead, she turned him into a flying lemur –"

"Well, _that's_ anti-climatic!" Toph cut in with a scowl.

Aang blinked at her, astonished. "What?"

"Well, the way you were talking – 'You have a great destiny to fulfill!' – I thought he would wind up being the Avatar or something."

"That's not how the Avatar story goes," Katara said. "It's similar, but not the same."

"Well, duh!" Toph snapped. "Of course that's not how the Avatar story goes, otherwise it wouldn't have ended with the kid being a flying frickin' lemur!"

"It makes sense," Sokka said. "Myths are made to explain things, and flying lemurs are friendly. So of course their myth would say they came from someone who wanted to be with people –"

"Sokka, stop analyzing. You're taking all the fun out of it," Katara cut in.

"Now you've got me curious about the Avatar story," Toph said, looking over at Katara. "What is it?"

"It's just…pretty much the same," Katara said. "A girl was approached by spirits as a small child, they showed her her destiny even though she didn't understand it, she got confused and upset so the spirits told the elders of her village instead, and they told her when she turned ten."

"Sixteen."

"No, ten," Katara said, looking at her brother. "I read it in Wan Shi Tong's library, that precident wasn't set until the eighth Avatar."

There was a pause. Then:

"Sixteen."

"Ten!"

"Alright, knock it off!" Toph snapped. "The point is that she was the Avatar." She paused. "When you say she was shown her destiny –"

"According to ledgend, thousands upon thousands of faces and lifetimes passed before her eyes when she looked into a pool of water," Katara said. "She saw war and famine and misery, but there was also some peace and times of plenty in there, too. Either way, she kind of withdrew from everyone else until the elders found her when she was ten."

"Can't blame her," Aang grumbled.

Katara's eyes softened. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze.

It was already getting late. The sun had just touched the ocean, much to everyone's surprise. Sokka clambered over onto Appa's head to make sure they were still on course. When he lifted his eyes to the horizon, he got the biggest surprise of his life.

"Aw, no way! Guys, look – we made it! It's Kyoshi Island!"


End file.
